Time
by betweenraindrops
Summary: They tried to go back to normal, they really did. But there are some things you can't go back from. Eventually, people run out of second chances, and if you stretch something too far…it breaks. RobStar and BBRae.
1. Chapter 1

_**Author's Note: **__And so we embark on another fanfic adventure! This opens after "Trouble In Tokyo", but as if the kiss never happened and the conversation on Tokyo Tower was the end of the RobStar-ness. This fanfic will cover the horrifically awkward and adorable journey to RobStar becoming RobStar, with a healthy dose of BBRae mixed in as well. Hope you enjoy the ride! Be prepared for a sequel too, which will be a lot darker and heavier than this one._

_Updates will be at least once a week, probably more like every 4/5 days._

_**Songs:**__ I generally post songs that I feel are relevant or inspired me in some way for some chapters of my fanfics. Sometimes I give you particular points where they become relevant, other times, if it's more of an in-general thing, I will just list the song. For this chapter, it's just a general one._  
_"Stole My Heart" - Little & Ashley_

_________****__The songs and other info about the fic is posted on my Tumblr (see the link on my profile page)_

* * *

**Chapter 1**

_We're heroes, Starfire…_

_We don't have time for this…_

_A hero is what I am, Starfire, and if you don't like it-_

She awoke with a start, sitting up abruptly. With a moan, she cradled her head in her hands, closing her eyes and trying to breathe through the memories.

It was now late May -nearly two months since her and Robin's conversation- but the nightmares still plagued her. She replayed the words over and over again, unable to escape it even in sleep. It did not help that Robin was actively avoiding her attempts to discuss the topic further. As soon as they had arrived home, he had returned to normal behavior as if nothing had happened, and, when she mentioned it, he would always suddenly get very busy or need to do the working out or the repairing of his motorcycle. She was beginning to fear that was the last they would ever discuss it; that her flying away crying would be the end.

Looking out the window with a heavy sigh, she saw a faint hint of light creeping across the sky. It was a little earlier than she usually awoke, but at least it was not the middle of the night this time.

She floated up out of bed, giving up on getting back to sleep, and grabbed her bathroom bag and a fresh uniform. She walked slower as she passed Robin's room on her way to the bathroom, but she did not hear any movement. This was to be expected, however. No one else was ever up this early.

Which was why she was surprised when she placed her hand on the scanner panel to open the bathroom door, and it blinked red and beeped up at her. She stared at it, puzzled, and then leapt back with a small yelp as the door slid open in front of her.

"Sorry," Robin chuckled, "didn't mean to scare ya."

She wanted to respond. She knew she should respond. She was simply standing there, staring at him stupidly. But he was not in uniform, and that always seemed to make her throat rather tight.

He was wearing what she assumed must be his regular sleeping attire: a t-shirt and boxers. The t-shirt was plain and white, and the boxers were white with blue stripes. Not that it made a significant difference to her; she was trying not to look anyway.

Instead, she focused her attention on his hair, which he was ruffling dry with a white towel.

"You okay?" he inquired, pausing in his drying to look at her quizzically.

"Mhmm," she squeaked, swallowing stiffly through the lump in her throat.

His eyebrows pulled together beneath the haphazard mess of dark, damp hair.

"Uh…alright," he replied skeptically, throwing the towel over his shoulder and grabbing his bag off the counter. "All yours!" he chorused, sliding past her and down to his room.

She darted into the bathroom, placing her hand on the interior panel to lock the door, and leaned against the cold metal, hyperventilating. Of course it would be Robin, with his pajamas and his wet hair. His accursed wet hair.

She slammed her head against the door and stared mournfully up at the ceiling for a few moments before letting out a small groan and preparing to shower. Placing her purple bathroom bag on the counter, she pulled out her shampoo, conditioner, and the orchid-scented body wash Raven had purchased for her for Christmas, knowing that they were her favorite flower. She clicked the top open and lifted it to her nose, breathing in the fresh, floral scent with a happy sigh.

Setting the various bottles on the shower shelves, she twisted the silver knob and adjusted the temperature to her preference. Once the water was hot enough, she pulled a towel out of the closet and hung it up on the hook on the wall before slipping out of her pajamas and into the steaming stream. The water soaked through her hair as she pushed her head into the flow, closing her eyes as it traversed her face.

She always enjoyed taking showers; it was such a lovely place to think. So warm and quiet, the sound of the water splashing at her feet bringing an odd peace. It carried with it the added bonus of being somewhere she was sure to be alone, which also helped. Not that she did not like sharing her thoughts and concerns with Raven, who was always a very good listener and full of thoughtful advice, but some things were simply too difficult or embarrassing to say out loud. Her growing doubts about Robin, for instance. Raven would no doubt be very encouraging, but, in a way Starfire did not exactly understand, that sometimes made her feel worse.

After she had lathered, rinsed, repeated, and rinsed off all the foamy remnants of body wash, she turned the shower off and reached out to grab her towel. She dried herself off slightly in the shower before pulling back the curtain and stepping out onto the grey bath mat, her feet leaving dark, matted footprints. Twisting her hair up in the towel, she grabbed her uniform from the counter and slipped into it, the humidity making the process take a little longer than normal, before repacking her bag and heading out the door.

When she got to her room, she put her pajamas in the laundry receptacle and placed her bathroom bag back in her closet, allowing the towel time to soak up as much moisture from her hair as possible. After a few minutes of various cleaning activities around her room, she unwrapped her hair to find it only slightly damp and hung the towel over the back of her desk chair to dry.

She then wandered out of her room barefoot, her usual fashion around the tower lately. Raven had asked her about this transition, and Starfire had, reluctantly and incredibly uncomfortably, explained. Robin, while still shorter than her, had grown slightly, and they were very nearly the same height when he was wearing boots and she was not. Luckily, Robin did not seem to have noticed her forgoing her shoes.

The living room door slid open, and she was greeted with empty silence and faint light as she walked to the cooling box of food. She had thought Robin would already be there, but it was possible he was already in the garage with his motorcycle. Perhaps he was avoiding her before she was even there now.

"Yogurt?" a voice said, and she smiled in spite of her recent thoughts. "That's not breakfast," Robin scolded as he came up behind her, peering into the box over her shoulder.

"Well, I am not allowed to utilize the cooking devices since I ignited the frozen pizza," she reminded him.

He chuckled lightly. "That's probably mostly our fault," he allowed. "We should have told you to take the plastic off first."

He took the yogurt out of her hand and gently shifted her out of the way as he began digging around in the box himself. After a few moments, he leaned out, several food items tucked under his arm.

"Come on," he beckoned as he closed the door and grabbed her arm, gently tugging her over to the counter. "We're gonna make pancakes."

"Robin," she warned, following nonetheless, "I do not believe I can make-"

"I'll teach you," he interrupted, placing the ingredients on the counter in front of him as they came to a stop.

"Okay," he began, linking his hands together and stretching to crack his fingers, "first we need a bowl."

She broke into a wide smile, happy she could be of assistance in some regard. She stretched over top of Robin, opening a cupboard above him and pulling out a large, plastic bowl.

"Thanks," he said, but he looked at her strangely as he took the bowl from her.

"What?" she inquired, fearing she had some form of disfigurement on her face.

"Nothing," he murmured, but continued to survey her critically, "it's just…are you…shorter?"

She was momentarily confused, her forehead furrowing, and then giggled as she understood.

"No," she smiled, shaking her head, "I believe you are merely taller."

His head moved back slightly in a gesture of surprise before his head dropped to look down at her feet.

"Oh, you're not wearing shoes!" he pointed out. "That's what it is."

"Yes," she conceded, "but you are also taller."

"Really?" he asked with a tone of surprise and pride.

She nodded, hoping he did not realize that the two things were related.

"Well, I should hope so," he murmured, turning back to the ingredients on the counter. "I am 18 now after a-"

"You are what?" she blurted, the hurt and surprise evident in her voice.

He turned toward her, his face confused and concerned. "Uh…I'm 18 now," he reiterated. "Did I not mention that?"

"No,"-she shook her head, her eyes dropping-"you did not. And I do not know the day of your birth, so I-"

"Um, yea," he chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck, "I…I don't really tell people that…"

"Why not?" she pried, not able to understand why someone would do such a thing.

"Well, I…" he faded off with an awkward sigh, "I just- Well, I-I worry-"

"You are concerned it would assist in discovering your identity," she finished, phrasing it as a statement rather than a question.

He nodded with a small, nervous smile.

"Well, I would never do such a thing," she assured firmly, dismissing his fears with a wave of her hand.

"You wouldn't?" he reaffirmed skeptically.

She shook her head stubbornly. "No, Robin, I would not attempt to discover who you are. I do not wish to know if it is not your choice to tell me."

He smiled warmly. "Well…thanks," he murmured, and she thought she saw a faint blush on his cheeks. "Ya know," he stretched teasingly, "I don't know when yours is either."

She forced herself not to smile as she crossed her arms in front of her. "I do not believe it is fair of you to ask me my day of birth when you will not confide in me yours."

He laughed, no doubt seeing through her faux irritation. "Fair enough," he sighed, lifting his hands in the air in surrender.

"So, pancakes!" he began, opening a cupboard and pulling out a yellow box. "First, we need...hmm…four cups of this."

"What is that?"

"Pancake mix," he explained briefly as he reached into a drawer. He then held a silver container of some sort over the bowl and began pouring the powder inside.

"Uh, Robin?" She hesitated, pointing at the mixture. "I do not recall the pancakes being quite so…dry," she critiqued cautiously, not wishing to offend him.

He laughed loudly, and she blushed with confused embarrassment.

"They're not done yet," he griped, shaking his head.

"Oh…" she trailed off, peering around his arm as he reached for a plastic container she recognized. "Milk!" she exclaimed, pointing at it and jumping up and down. "The pancakes contain milk?"

He nodded and set the milk down in front of her as he offered the silver device to her. "You wanna add it?"

She took a half-step back, eyeing it suspiciously. "I-I do not know-"

"Here," he sighed, grabbing her hand and placing the instrument in it.

She blushed furiously, grateful that he moved to stand behind her so he could not see.

"You just hold it over the bowl," he described, moving her hand appropriately, "fill it up to the top"-he poured the milk in-"and dump it in the bowl."

"I simply pour it in?" she clarified.

"Mhmm," he confirmed, and she turned her wrist, the milk cascading over the mound of powder.

"Why do you not add the milk directly to the mixture?" she pondered.

"Because you have to add a certain amount," he explained, filling the capsule once again, "and this cup allows you to measure it."

"Oh, glorious!" she chirped as he lightly pushed her wrist again, and she turned it the remainder of the way to pour another portion of liquid into the bowl. "How many do we include?" she asked, turning over her right shoulder to look at him.

Her breath abruptly stalled as she found herself inches away from his face. He had been standing much closer than she had realized, and she felt heat rising up into her cheeks at the proximity.

"Uh…" he stammered, clearing his throat and leaning away, releasing her hand as he did so, "that's-that's all."

Pain cut across her chest as he pulled the cup out of her hand, placing it in the sink before sliding a plastic container across the counter.

"Two eggs," he explained stiffly, and she frowned at the sudden change in his demeanor, however expected it was.

"And then you just mix it up and you're ready to go!" he finished, turning and smiling at her.

She was still frowning, and his face fell in response.

"What?" he queried, his eyebrows pushing together.

"Nothing," she sighed, knowing he would not discuss it even if she were to broach the subject.

He eyed her skeptically as she reached across him to retrieve a spoon from one of the drawers.

"It's actually easier if you use a fork," he corrected, taking the spoon from her and replacing it in the drawer.

Her bitterness softened slightly at the touch, and she smiled faintly down into the bowl as he spun the increasingly soggy mixture around the sides.

He grabbed a cooking vessel from one of the lower drawers and placed it on the fire he ignited with the twist of a dial.

"Can you grab me a spatula?" he requested casually and he poured the mixture into three pools.

She blinked rapidly, glancing nervously around the kitchen. "Uh…"

"Right," he laughed, pulling the drawer in front of her open. "This"-he brandished a flattened, black stick-"is a spatula. You use it to flip the pancakes."

"A…_spatula_?" she repeated, testing the word on her tongue.

He nodded, placing the device underneath one of the pancakes and tossing it in one, quick motion.

She squealed with delight, rushing over to hover at his shoulder. "What a magical device!"

"You want a go?" he proposed, lifting the spatula in front of her face.

She clapped frantically underneath her chin, bouncing up and down on the tile.

"I'll take that as a yes," he chuckled, placing it in her hand.

"How do I perform this feat?" she asked excitedly, hardly able to stay on the ground.

"Okay, slide the flat end underneath one of the pancakes."

She obeyed, gingerly wriggling the plastic beneath the yellow circle.

"Then you lift it up a little bit and gently-"

"Oh, dear…" she murmured, gazing up at the pancake affixed to the ceiling. She wilted, her eyes dropping to his shoes. "I suppose I can no longer use this device either…"

Robin broke into peals of laughter, clutching the side of the counter for support.

She stared at him, shocked she was not being reprimanded for mishandling the spatula.

"Oh, oh wow," he breathed through the fading laughs. "Starfire?" he began, a huge smile spread across his still-chuckling face, "promise me something?"

She tilted her head inquisitively.

"Don't ever, _ever_ change," he wheezed before launching into laughter once again.

It was rather contagious, albeit confusing, and she quickly found herself laughing with him.

After awhile, they sighed to a stop and Robin pulled a plate down from the shelves and slid the two remaining pancakes onto it.

"There's mustard in the door," he said, handing her the plate and pointing toward the cooling box.

"You are not partaking?" she posed, guiltily staring down at her pancakes.

"I'll make some more," he shrugged, already pouring puddles.

Satisfied that she was not eating Robin's breakfast, she pulled the mustard from the cooling box and settled herself on the opposite side of the counter, watching Robin flip his pancakes.

"How will we remove it?" she mused, staring up at the rogue pancake.

"It'll come down eventually," he disregarded, settling next to her with his own plate of pancakes. He adorned his with syrup, something absolutely incomprehensible to her.

They ate in relative silence, both of them taking occasional glances at the ceiling to see how the pancake was faring. When she was finished, Robin took her plate and his own and laid them in the sink.

"So," he said, coming back to stand next to her, "you wanna help me work on the R-Cycle? I'm trying to improve the handling."

"I do not believe I will be of much assistance with that," she evaded, a smile pulling at the corners of her lips.

"Well, I-I didn't mean-" he stumbled awkwardly, scratching at the back of his head, "I mean, you wouldn't have to help with the handling or anything, I just thought- Well, I just kind of thought you might wanna…hang out…"

She smiled down at the counter before lifting her eyes to his. "Certainly, Robin," she answered, his body noticeably relaxing as she slid off her chair and walked with him toward the door.

"Morning, ya'll!"

Cyborg and Beast Boy ambled through the main door as her and Robin were on their way to the stairwell.

"Ooooh, pancakes!" Beast Boy squealed, rushing over to the counter. "Aww, man!" he moaned, staring mournfully at the empty cooking device, "Where's mine?"

"Actually, Beast Boy," Robin said, flinging a birdarang from seemingly nowhere. It returned to his hand just as Beast Boy yelped with surprise. "I think there's one left."

"DUDE!" he cried, tearing at the pancake on his face.

She laughed hysterically, clutching her stomach with one hand while letting Robin guide her out the door with the other. Beast Boy's tirade could be heard even as the door closed behind them, and she continued laughing riotously as Robin led her down the stairs.

"Um…Starfire?" he said softly, releasing her hand as he stopped and turned toward her.

She met his gaze, her giggling ceasing at his serious tone.

"March 20th," he whispered, flashing a shy smile.

Her eyebrows wrinkled together for a moment of confusion before she returned his smile with a glowing one of her own.

"June 4th," she answered, and his smile widened back at her as they continued down the stairs.

* * *

_**Author's Note:**__ Why is Starfire's birthday June 4th? Because nobody seems to know when her birthday is exactly, and the episode "Transformation" takes place after "Date With Destiny", which is assumedly in April/May due to the fact that it takes place at prom. Considering transformation seems like something that would happen on a Tamaranean's 16th birthday, I arbitrarily picked June 4th._

_If you have to ask me why Robin's birthday is March 20th...well, yea._


	2. Chapter 2

_**Author's Note: **__For those of you that didn't read my other fanfic, 'Burn', here is a little explanation of what my various symbols mean:_

___Shifts to Robin's perspective (I will only be working with Robin and Starfire) will be labelled and marked at the beginning and end by slashes (/\/\/\__). Gaps in time will be marked by an ellipses (...)._

___No songs this chapter._

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**_Robin_**

_Must we always be heroes? Are we capable of nothing else? _

_Can we not, for a few moments, be something more?_

_Robin, I like it more than you will ever know…_

He jolted awake, panting as he shot upright in bed. Sighing heavily, he collapsed back onto the pillow, rubbing his eyes.

As hard as he tried to forget it had every happened, he couldn't keep their conversation out of his mind when he slept. Not that he really had any right to be tortured by it. It was all his fault, after all. He had brushed it off then; he was avoiding it now. It was becoming a regular habit of his actually, ruining otherwise good moments with his issues. Like making pancakes yesterday morning, for instance. That was going great until he over thought it, realizing just how close she was. And how green her eyes were. And how nice her hair smelled. But he pretended he didn't notice these things. He told himself she was just his best friend, that's why he cared so much. Lately though, that was getting increasingly difficult to believe, but he didn't know what to do about it. They couldn't be anything more than that. They just couldn't. Could they?

He groaned, rolling onto his side and checking the time. 2 in the morning. Of course. He was just about to roll back over and attempt to go back to sleep when he noticed the date on the clock. He jumped forward, grabbing the clock and pulling it toward him to make sure he hadn't misread it. It couldn't be May 29th already, could it? He leapt out of bed and grabbed his communicator off his desk, but it gave him the same information.

Muttering a steady stream of profanities under his breath, he slipped out of his room and took off the down the hall, going as fast as he could as quietly as he could. Reaching the desired door, he raised a hand to knock, but it opened in front of him before he had the chance.

"I could feel your panic attack from here," Raven grumbled, moving away from the door and waving him inside.

"Sorry," he breathed apologetically as the door closed behind him. He grabbed her desk chair and pulled it over in front of where she was now sitting on her bed.

"So, what's the big emergency?" she yawned, covering her mouth with a hand.

"It's May 29th!" he blurted, expecting her to understand the gravity of the situation.

She blinked at him.

"Starfire's birthday," he elaborated, "it's next week!"

"So?" She raised an eyebrow at him.

"_So_," he mocked, frustrated at her ignorance, "I haven't gotten her anything yet, and I don't have any idea what she'd want!"

Raven chuckled lightly, shaking her head at him. "Robin, I'm sorry, but I can't help you with that."

"What?" he bleated, hurt. "Why not?"

"Because it wouldn't be fair," she asserted smugly. "You have to sink or swim on your own with this one."

"But-But-" he stammered, thoroughly putout.

She placed a hand on his shoulder, smiling gently.

"Robin, you'll be fine," she assured. "Just…think about it. I'm sure you'll come up with something."

"But what if I don't and I have to get her something stupid like a…gift card or something?"

Raven frowned slightly, retracting her hand. "Gift cards aren't all bad…" she trailed off.

"You're only saying that 'cause Beast Boy got you one for Christmas," he teased, receiving a smack on the arm.

"The _point_ is," she redirected with a quick glare, "she'll like whatever you get as long as it comes from the heart."

"How about…a heart-shaped Jump City keychain?" he jested.

"I don't think that's the kind of heart you should be giving, Robin," she countered, smirking back at him.

His eyes widened momentarily before he collected himself and glared at her, feeling the heat forming around his neck.

She chuckled lightly, standing up beside him.

"You'll think of something," she reiterated, patting him on the shoulder.

He sighed heavily, taking the hint and rising from the chair. "I hope so… Anyway, thanks, Raven," he acknowledged, shooting her a grateful smile as he left and headed back to bed.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Raven!" Starfire called, waving frantically from where she sat on the couch. "Hurry! It is starting!"

She bounced up and down on the sofa, small squeals escaping her at every impact.

"Starfire," Raven groaned, flopping down next to her, "why do you insist on making me watch this? I'm not going to all of a sudden like it."

"What is it?" she heard Robin asked, and turned to see him sitting on one of the stools in the kitchen drinking a soda; Cyborg and Beast Boy arguing obliviously behind him.

She opened her mouth to explain, but Raven was faster.

"It's this ridiculously mind-numbing show about a bunch of rich high-school kids in New York," she droned. "I don't know, Star thinks one of the guys is cute or something."

"She wha-" Robin started, but Starfire cut him off with a wave of her hand and a series of shushes as the boy appeared on screen.

"Oh, Raven, surely you must admit he is handsome," she teased.

Raven shrugged. "He's just not my type, I guess," she dismissed. "I'm surprised you like him though," she added, looking across at her curiously. "Don't most Tamaranean guys have green eyes and red hair?"

"Indeed," Starfire nodded, her expression turning thoughtful, "but I do not believe I wish to be with a Tamaranean man."

"You don't?" Raven inquired, and a chair in the kitchen shifted with a squeal.

She shook her head. "In my time here on Earth, I have changed greatly," she explained, turning to face her friend. "Tamaran is a planet driven by war, and I have grown so fond of earthly kindness, I do not believe I would be content with such a life."

Raven nodded in understanding. "Yea, that makes sense," she approved, and Starfire flashed her a smile before turning back to the television.

"Besides," she said with a sigh, gazing dreamily up at the boy on screen, "I much prefer blue eyes."

There was a loud bang followed by a series of coughs, and she whipped around to see Robin choking into his palm.

"Robin?" she probed worriedly, twisting around on her knees to peer over the back of the couch at him, "Are you alright?"

"Yea, I-I'm fine," he spluttered, "It just…went down the wrong pipe or something." He slid off his chair with a final clear of his throat. "I'm gonna go…" he hesitated, walking backward toward the door, "train or- or something."

With that, he rushed out the door and Cyborg and Beast Boy burst into snickers.

"So," Cyborg began, turning to his green companion, "ya think he does or doesn't?"

Beast Boy merely chuckled and shrugged before returning to his waffles.

Starfire, thoroughly confused by this entire series of events, thought it better not to ask and returned to sitting next to Raven, who was glowering at the screen.

"I do apologize, Raven," Starfire sighed with a sly smile. "Perhaps next time we shall find a show about green guys. Would that be more your type?"

Raven glared at her, flipping her hood up to hide the pink in her cheeks.

Starfire could not help but giggle.

"You're ridiculous," Raven muttered, shaking her head, but Starfire saw her faint smile.

When Starfire's show had concluded, Beast Boy and Cyborg took over the television to play the video games, so her and Raven retired to the roof for some meditating. They hovered there for quite some time, not speaking except for their respective chants, until Raven began a conversation.

"_Soooo_," she stressed, and Starfire opened her eyes to find her friend already staring at her, "how are you doing?"

She looked at her quizzically, moving her hands to rest in her lap. "What do you mean?"

"You know"-Raven rolled her eyes-"with all this stuff with Robin."

"Oh," she answered faintly, her gaze dropping as she blushed. "Well…we made pancakes the morning of yesterday!"

"You know that's not what I meant," Raven scolded, and Starfire cringed. "Have you talked to him yet?"

"Well, I…" she faded off, twiddling her thumbs.

"Starfire," Raven chided sternly, "you have to do it eventually, you know."

"I know," she conceded sorrowfully, "but it is very difficult to find the correct moment."

"There's never a right moment for this sort of thing," Raven argued, "you just have to go for it."

"I have tried," she moaned, "but he always evades my attempts to discuss it."

"Then you can't let him!" Raven exhorted. "You have to just sit him down and make him give you a straight answer."

She bit her lip nervously. "Raven, I do not-"

"Starfire, I know it's hard," her friend interrupted, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, "but won't it be better to know?"

She thought about it as she stared at her folded legs. For several reasons, she was exceptionally fearful of discussing their current situation with Robin. He obviously did not want to talk about it, and she was concerned how he would react if she did not allow him to escape. Truthfully though, she was most fearful of what she would hear. It was difficult enough to be rebuffed the first time; she did not wish to go through it again. But, Raven was correct. In spite of the answer she would receive, it would undoubtedly be an improvement on the present uncertainty.

"I suppose so," she whispered back, and Raven smiled at her before they returned to their meditating.

They continued uninterrupted for quite some time before the door banged open behind them.

"Trouble!" Robin yelled, and the two girls flew across the roof after him as he ducked back into the stairwell.

It was wordlessly decided that Raven would go with Beast Boy while she followed Cyborg and Robin out of the garage, so the group split when they reached the main level. By the time her and Robin got to the garage, Cyborg was already in the T-Car, giving them a quick wave before shooting off ahead down the tunnel that travelled under the bay, connecting Titans Tower to the mainland.

She hovered in the air behind Robin as he jumped onto the R-Cycle and started it up, a small gasp escaping her as she caught the helmet he unexpectedly tossed up. She turned it over in her hands, looking down at him curiously.

"Are you coming?" he inquired impatiently.

She looked down at the helmet, her own vexed eyes staring back.

"But"-she lowered herself to the ground beside him-"should you not wear the helmet?"

"Will you just get on?" he snapped, and she obeyed automatically. "Hey, what are you-" he snarled as she forced the helmet over his head.

"Now you may go," she granted, wrapping her arms around his waist.

He grumbled, shaking his now-protected head in defeat as the R-Cycle roared down the tunnel.

The speed whipped her free hair behind her as she laid her face against Robin's back, trying to protect her eyes from the wind. The black fabric of his cape flew out on either side of her, slapping against her arms as they sped along. With her face buried in it such as it was, she could not help but breathe in his scent –a distracting blend of fresh rainfall and something musky and spicy akin to pine trees.

She was pulled from her trance as the R-Cycle abruptly turned sideways and stopped, and she wrapped her arms tighter around Robin's waist to avoid being thrown off.

"Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me!" Robin groaned as he removed his helmet. "We come all the way down here, and it's just you!?"

"Just me?" Control Freak bellowed at them. "JUST ME?! I am Control Freak! Master of all technology-"

"Master of getting his butt kicked, more like," Beast Boy snickered, changing into his human form as he landed on the ground beside them, Raven following close behind.

Robin sighed heavily as he got off the motorcycle, and Starfire floated off to hover behind him.

"Whatever," Robin snapped, unfurling his bo-staff, "can we just get this over with? I kind of have plans."

"Plans?" Cyborg pried as he came out of an alley to the right, no doubt hiding the T-Car down there so Control Freak would not be able to damage it.

"Yes," Robin snarled back, "plans."

"What kind of plans?" Beast Boy chimed in.

"Can you guys invade my privacy _after_ we get this lunatic back in jail?" Robin harped, gesturing at Control Freak with the end of his staff.

"No, I'll wait," Control Freak conceded, lifting his hands to signify he would not attack. "I'm kinda curious too, actually."

Robin muttered angrily under his breath.

"What, ya got a hot date or som-" Control Freak cut off as Robin tossed a freezing disc at him, encasing the criminal in ice.

"Geesh, dude," Beast Boy chided, "that was cold. Oh, get it! Get it!" He grew suddenly excited as he realized his accidental jest.

Raven slapped a hand to her face while Cyborg groaned, but Starfire forced a polite giggle.

Robin did not react at all; he merely walked back to the R-Cycle and replaced his helmet.

"You guys can take it from here, right?" he checked, preparing to leave.

"Uh…I guess so," Cyborg stretched, eyeing him suspiciously, "but why do you have to run off so fast?"

"Busy," he deadpanned curtly before turning back to her. "You don't mind flying back, do you?"

"No," she said cautiously, "but perhaps I could accompany you on your err-"

"No!" he interjected frantically, and she jumped back in the air with surprise and hurt. "I mean," he added, clearing his throat, "I don't know how long I'll be. I wouldn't wanna drag you around with me all day."

"Oh, but I would not be...inconvenienced…" she faded off as the engine roared to life and Robin shot away from her.

She sulked in the air with a small, dejected sigh, staring after him.

"Well, come on ya'll," Cyborg beckoned, heading toward the frozen Control Freak as sirens could be heard in the distance. "Let's get this guy back where he belongs."

Once the police arrived, they loaded Control Freak into the back of the armored vehicle, strapping him to the side in case he thawed on the way to prison. After they were satisfied that he was secure, they closed the double doors and Cyborg slammed a fist on the side of the truck as a signal to the drivers.

Starfire watched after the truck as it rolled down the street, still thoroughly distracted with concerns about Robin. Where did he have to go so hurriedly? Did he in fact have the 'hot date' of which Control Freak spoke? She moaned dolefully at the thought.

"Hey," Raven greeted, coming to her side, "you…uh…wanna go to the mall or something?"

She gave her friend a weak smile, touched by her attempt to ease her unhappiness.

"May we purchase the frozen blended fruit beverages?" she murmured.

Raven chuckled lightly as she wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Of course," she sanctioned, and they headed down the street.

Starfire cheered up considerably as they entered the mall, dragging Raven from store to store to peer through the windows. She always particularly enjoyed the stores of shoes. Considering she always wore her combat-appropriate boots, she was incredibly amused by the various impractical options available.

"Oh, Raven, look!" she pointed out, tugging on her friend's navy cloak. "These have the diamonds of plastic!"

"Rhinestones," Raven corrected, and Starfire twisted around to gape at her.

"Oh god!" Raven cried, clasping her hands to her mouth. "How do I know that? I shouldn't know that! This is all your fault!"

Starfire giggled at her friend's distress, completely ignoring the glare she was now receiving as she took a drink of her mango-peach frozen juice beverage.

"Raven, perhaps you are more…" she trailed off as she caught a glimpse of something over Raven's shoulder that she could not believe she was seeing. Her mouth gaped and her heart pounded in her throat as she stared, and she saw Raven's unfocused face become concerned.

"What is it?" Raven questioned, leaning in to survey her face closely. "Star? What's wro- Oh…" she said as she turned to follow Starfire's eyes.

There, sitting at a table in the courtyard of food, was none other than Robin. It was alarming enough to see Robin at the mall at all, but what made Starfire's eyes sting was that he was not alone. In the chair across from him was a girl who looked to be about their age. She had blonde hair that hung just below her shoulders, and she was leaning across the table giggling as if Robin had just told some brilliant joke. It was not surprising Robin had not wished for her to accompany him; he already had company.

"Starfire, I'm sure-" Raven fussed, but Starfire turned away before she could finish.

She did not know where she was going, and she could not see particularly well through the tears that were welling up in her eyes, but she felt she had to get as far away from this wretched place as possible. She heard Raven catch up to her as she raced toward the exit, and she sucked in a deep breath as she broke out into the cool, early-evening air. Leaning against the brick wall of the mall of shopping, she clutched a hand to her chest as she panted, trying desperately to keep the tears from spilling over.

"Starfire," Raven began again, "I'm sure it's not what you think."

"What else could it be, Raven?" she whispered mournfully. "Robin does not enjoy the mall of shopping. He never accompanies me when I ask him. Evidently there is other company he prefers," she spat, opting to be angry instead of depressed.

"Star, I know this is hard to believe," Raven implored, placing a hand on her shoulder, "but I know for a fact that that is not what was going on there."

She looked into her friend's sincere violet eyes curiously. "You know who this girl is?"

"Well…no," Raven admitted, but continued hurriedly as Starfire groaned, "but I know why Robin was at the mall."

"Why?" she demanded skeptically.

"I-I can't tell you," Raven stammered regretfully, "but trust me, it's for a good reason."

She narrowed her eyes, searching her friend's face. "But that does not answer the question of the girl-"

Raven let out an exasperated sigh. "Star, you know how girls get around Robin. _And_ you know it drives him nuts," she added pointedly as Starfire opened her mouth to contest.

Starfire bit her lip, dropping her gaze as she thought.

"So…" she began, hesitantly glancing back up into Raven's eyes, "you are positive it is not the hot date of which Control Freak spoke?"

Raven chuckled lightly, nodding. "Absolutely positive. Now, come on," she beckoned, "let's grab some pizza and bring it back for the guys."

"That is very thoughtful of you, Raven," she noted as she pushed off the wall, significantly happier now that she had her friend's assurance.

"Yea, I'm a real sweetheart," Raven snorted, and Starfire laughed.

…

"Sweet! Tomato and extra cheese!" Beast Boy squealed, grabbing his pizza off the top of the pile. "Thanks, Raven!"

"You're welcome," she answered, flashing him a barely-there smile.

"And here is your pizza of 5-meats!" Starfire smiled, floating Cyborg's pizza over to where he was sitting at the counter.

"Well alright!" he praised, ripping the cardboard from her hands and breathing in the scent as he flipped open the lid.

"Dude!" Beast Boy whined, grimacing and moving a seat away from him. "Could you eat that monstrosity somewhere else?"

"We're in the kitchen," Cyborg argued, his mouth full of pizza, "and since when do you use words like 'monstrosity'?"

"Hey, I read!" Beast Boy contested, jabbing a thumb into his chest for emphasis.

"Finally got that word-a-day toilet paper, huh?" Raven joked, taking a slice of the pepperoni pizza her and Starfire were sharing.

Beast Boy turned to glower at her as Starfire and Cyborg laughed riotously. He opened his mouth to retort, but he was interrupted by the door opening.

"Hey," Robin grumbled in greeting, his hands in his pockets as he dragged toward them.

"Aw man, you just missed it!" Cyborg mourned, still laughing. "Raven just totally annihilated BB!"

"She did not!" the green boy retorted before folding his arms and sulking.

"Eh, I'll catch the next one," Robin shrugged, coming to stand beside Starfire. He scanned the counter, his eyebrows furrowing. "Is there anything for me?"

"We did not believe you would be joining us," Starfire explained sharply, still irritated in spite of Raven's condolences. "You did say you may be out for some length of time."

He looked down at her curiously. "Well, yea, I guess so," he granted, "but, even when I'm busy or something, you usually get me a pizza anyway."

"Perhaps I assumed you had already eaten," she snapped, and he drew back, confused.

"Why would you think that?" he probed.

"Hmph!" she huffed, turning away from him and back to her pizza.

"Have a slice of mine," Cyborg offered, lifting the box in invitation. "I can't eat a whole pizza myself when it has this much meat on it."

Beast Boy snorted loudly, and Cyborg wrinkled his nose at him in response.

"Uh…yea, okay," Robin murmured, hesitantly leaving her side and heading over to Cyborg.

She ate a couple slices of pizza in silence before excusing herself to prepare for bed. Slipping into her pajamas, she settled down on the mattress, folding her hands behind her head as she stared up at the ceiling. How much longer could she do this? How much longer could she torment herself with questions and worries about Robin? Raven was right, it would be better to know, and she wanted to know very soon indeed.

With plans formulating in her mind, she lolled her head off the edge of the bed and drifted to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Author's Note:**__ This chapter has BBRae coming out of its ears, so I hope you shippers are happy. I ship it too, of course, and it will happen eventually, but here's your first little bit. I also love the Dick/Wally bromance, so that plays a part here and in plenty subsequent chapters._

**_Songs: _**_"Let's Talk About Spaceships" - Say Hi to Your Mom_

**_Don't forget the songs and other info about the fics can be found on my tumblr (see profile page for the link)_**

* * *

**Chapter 3**

**_Robin_  
**

Robin went at the punching bag repeatedly, snarling with every hit. It was already June 1st and he still didn't have a present for Starfire. He had gone to what must have been every mall in the entire city -and perhaps a few surrounding ones too- and all he ever came back with was a headache. And a sore hand from signing autographs. He normally would have muttered a quick refusal and carried on, but Starfire was always nagging him about being _personable_.

_'You are this city's hero, Robin. These people admire you,'_ she insisted, usually while she was signing autographs for leering, drooling boys. As if he didn't know what went into being a hero. As if he didn't understand the responsibilities, the sacrifices.

He hit the bag particularly hard, and it rattled on its hook as he wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Figuring that was enough misplaced aggression for one afternoon, he unwrapped his hands and sat down on the bench against the wall before bringing the waiting towel to his face.

"Robin?" a small voice interrupted, and he lifted his hand from the white fabric.

"Oh, hey, Star," he acknowledged, making a mental note not to let her get too close to him in his sweaty condition. At least he was wearing a t-shirt and athletic shorts instead of his uniform. Now that would have been disgusting. "What's up?"

She slid into the room, one hand clutching the opposite elbow in that way she always did when she was uncomfortable. "I-I wish to…discuss something with you," she mumbled, looking at the floor.

"Um…sure, Star," he permitted, his chest tightening with trepidation. "What do you wanna talk about?"

"Well, I…"-she opened and closed her mouth several times-"I wish to talk with you about…us," she finished softly, her gaze flickering to him for a moment at the last word.

His mouth went dry as his heart began pounding in his ears. "U-Us?" he stammered, trying to swallow the lump in his throat.

"Yes," she affirmed, moving closer to him. "I-I have been doing a lot of thinking about our conversation…_before_," she emphasized, "and I… Well, I-"

"Uh, look, Star," he interjected, jumping up from the bench and skittering away from her, "can we maybe talk about this later? I kinda need a shower."

Pain flashed across her face and he felt his chest seize with guilt.

"Very well," she conceded, hanging her head and walking out.

He wanted to call after her. He wanted to say something to take that look off her face. He wanted to say a lot of things, actually, but he couldn't for the thousand reasons that he fought to remember every time he was near her.

He groaned as he walked toward the men's locker room. Yes, Robin definitely understood the sacrifices of being a hero.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Starfire moaned helplessly as she collapsed face-first onto the navy blankets next to Raven, who had been waiting for her.

"That bad, huh?" Raven speculated.

She merely groaned in response, the heat from her breath spreading across the blankets beneath her face.

Raven patted her shoulder. "You wanna talk about it?"

She shook her head into the mattress. "Not at present."

"Alright," Raven conceded, her hand lifting.

A minute or so passed in silence.

"You wanna talk about it now?"

"Yes," she mumbled into the blankets, and Raven chuckled faintly as Starfire rose to sit in front of her. "He evaded me again," she said simply, staring at her hands in her lap.

"Star!" Raven whined. "We talked about this"

"I know," she moaned, "but he said he needed the shower and I did not know what to do!"

"Well, I suppose that is kind of awkward," Raven acknowledged, "but next time-"

"I know, I know," she anticipated, "I must not allow him a way out."

"Exactly," Raven praised before rising off the bed. "I'm gonna go meditate, you wanna come?"

Starfire nodded weakly, getting up and following her out the door.

They passed Beast Boy watching television in the living room on their way to the roof, Starfire getting a slap on the arm as she giggled at Beast Boy turning his attention from the screen to greet Raven. As they got settled in the air, facing one another as they hovered, she took a moment to bring up a topic with Raven that she had been considering for some time.

"Raven?" she began cautiously, trying not to sound suspicious.

"Hmm?" Raven murmured back to her, not opening her eyes.

"I have been wondering…what is the situation with you and Beast Boy?"

Raven nearly fell out of the air.

"W-What?" she stammered with an awkward laugh. "Why would you think there's a situation? There's no situation."

Starfire smiled at her friend's reddening face. "Raven," she said gently, placing a hand over the one Raven had resting on her knee, "I hope you know you may confide in me, if you so wish. You are an exceptional friend to me, and I am here for you always as well."

Raven smiled across at her. "I know, Star," she assured, looking out over the bay. "It's just…it's hard for me to talk about that stuff. Emotions are very…"-she paused, her face searching-"complicated for me."

"I understand," Starfire nodded, removing her hand. "And, if you ever wish to do the sharing, do not hesitate."

Raven smiled and opened her mouth to reply when they were interrupted by a familiar, frantic voice.

"Hey, Raven, I have an- Oh," Robin broke off as he saw them hovering there. "Starfire," he added, sounding surprised, "I-I didn't realize you were up here."

"Is that a problem?" she asked curiously, slightly hurt by his reaction.

"No," he blurted hurriedly, walking over to the pair as they lowered themselves to the ground, "I just…wanted to talk to Raven about something real quick."

She hoped the concern did not show on her face as she forced a smile. "Certainly," she said with a nod, walking passed him toward the door. Once Robin's back was to her, she turned and walked backwards to give Raven a prying look.

Raven's eyebrows furrowed ever-so-slightly as she gave her the faintest of shrugs, and Starfire felt better knowing that Raven had no idea what this was about either.

With one last, curious scan of the pair, she closed the door behind her, intending to wait in her room for Raven to come down and inform her of the conversation.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

**_Robin_**

"Okay, so I have an idea-" he started as soon as he heard Starfire close the door, but Raven interrupted him.

"You know she's suspicious now, right?"

"What?" he muttered.

"And now I'm going to have to tell her what we talked about as soon as I go downstairs," she added, crossing her arms at him.

"What? Why?" he probed, not understand why on earth that had to happen.

"Because she's going to ask," Raven sighed exasperatedly. "It's not like it's a common occurrence for you to insist on a private consult with me."

"Oh…" he trailed off, feeling slightly embarrassed. "I…I didn't think of that."

"Don't worry about it," Raven dismissed with a wave of her hand, "I'll make something up. So, what do you need to talk to me about?"

"I have an idea of something to do for Starfire's birth-," he rattled off, but she cut in.

"No," she answered flatly.

"You don't even know what I'm gonna say!" he crabbed.

"Are you going to ask me to help you pick out a present again?" she condescended.

"No," he confuted, glad that wasn't what he'd decided to say first, "I had an idea of something we could all do for her."

Raven uncrossed her arms and raised an eyebrow, which he took as an invitation to elaborate.

"I thought, maybe," he paused, suddenly doubting himself, "we could…throw her a surprise party…on her birthday…here…"

Raven remained silent, her eyes narrowing at him.

"Or-or not," he offered, her silence making him nervous.

"Robin, that is"-she paused, and he mentally berated himself for having such a stupid idea-"a shockingly thoughtful idea."

He blinked, rattling his head slightly in surprise. "It-it is?"

She smiled warmly at him and nodded. "I'll make some calls," she offered, moving past him toward the stairs.

"Oh, Raven!" he called after her, a thought suddenly occurring to him. "You know we can't tell-"

"Oh, please," she snapped, twisting around to give him an exasperated glare. "Do you really think I'm dumb enough to tell the green megaphone?"

"Just sayin'," he defended, raising his hands to defer her wrath.

She rolled her eyes at him before leaving through the door, and he followed shortly behind her, feeling rather proud of himself.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Starfire sat on her bed, biting her nails as she waited for Raven to appear. Every sound made her jump, anticipating her arrival, but it was always Beast Boy and Cyborg yelping at their game. After what seemed like an eternity, there was a knock on her door, and she leapt off the bed to answer it.

"Raven!" she cried joyously, pulling her friend into the room.

"Geesh, Star," Raven groaned, "you almost dislocated my shoulder."

"My apologies," she muttered quickly. "So what is it that Robin wished to discuss with you that I was not privy to?"

Raven shrugged, sitting down on the bed beside her. "Nothing, really," she mumbled, "just some stuff about my fighting style."

Starfire narrowed her eyes as she searched Raven's. "You are lying," she did not ask.

Raven chuckled lightly. "Yea, alright, I am," she admitted with a shrug, "but it's nothing bad."

"More of the things for which I must do the trusting of you?" she presumed, her eyes narrowing even further.

Raven nodded and flashed her a reassuring smile, but Starfire was not convinced. She trusted Raven, of course, but there were certainly a lot of things being hidden from her lately. It was very disconcerting.

"Um…Star?" Raven mumbled, shaking her out of her worries.

She looked up to find her friend avoiding her gaze, twisting her fingers in her lap.

"What you said earlier, about me being able to talk to you about…stuff," she ventured slowly. "Do you- Do you think we could…uh…do that?"

Starfire beamed, pulling the nervous girl into a hug. "Most certainly, Raven!" she chirped, gripping Raven's shoulders as she shifted her away. "What do you wish to discuss?"

"Well, I"-she paused, biting her lip-"I guess I just- Well, I wondering if- I mean, do you think…" She sighed heavily, grating a hand down her face before continuing. "Do you think…_he_…ya know, has…"

Starfire smiled at her friend's inability to complete the sentence. "I have noticed Beast Boy paying particular attention to you on many occasions," she encouraged, happy and a little surprised Raven was confiding in her.

"You have?" Raven breathed, her eyes widening. "When?"

"Well, most recently when we walked through on our route to the roof," she elaborated. "He turned away from his video game to greet you. That appears to be exceptional to me."

Raven blushed as Starfire smiled across at her.

"I-I suppose so," the dark-haired girl muttered to the sheets, picking at them with her fingertips.

"I am certain," Starfire corrected. She jumped off the bed, beckoning to Raven as a thought occurred to her. "Come with me," she coaxed as she headed toward the door.

"Where are we going?" Raven queried cautiously.

"I intend to prove to you that Beast Boy has an affinity for you," she smirked.

Raven paled dramatically. "That's really not-"

"Raven," she interrupted softly, grasping her friend's shoulder, "it cannot possibly go more poorly than my attempt with Robin."

Raven let out a small laugh before recomposing herself to look up at her sternly. "Fine, but if you-"

"Glorious!" she exclaimed, grabbing Raven's thin hand and dragging her through the door. She rushed down the hallway, clamoring into the living room and coming to a stop at the bottom of the stairs.

"Okay, now I think you really did dislocate my-"

Starfire shushed her, and Raven stared back indignantly. "Take your place in your usual chair," she ordered with a smile.

"But how will that-"

She waved her off impatiently, giving the blue-cloaked girl a nudge toward the seating area.

Raven twisted back to glare at her, but did slowly drift over to the chair. Once seated, she looked back, shrugging her shoulders and mouthing, 'Now what?'

'Wait,' Starfire mouthed back, smirking and heading toward the cooling box. She purposefully made an excess amount of noise as she rummaged through the drawers full of soda.

"Oh, hey guys!" Beast Boy noticed, turning around on the couch to look at each of them in turn.

"Pleasant afternoon, Beast Boy!" she acknowledged, beaming at him.

"Uh…right," he murmured, wrinkling his eyebrows at her before shifting his gaze to Raven. "Hey, Raven!"

Raven shot a quick glance at Starfire –to which she nodded in response- before replying with a simple, "Hi".

"Hey, do you wanna watch something?" he offered, gesturing at the screen with the controller still in his hand. "I'm kind of over this game anyway."

Raven raised an eyebrow at him while Starfire pursed her lips to keep from squealing with delight.

"You…you are?" Raven clarified cautiously.

"Yea," Beast Boy affirmed with a shrug, hitting a few buttons so the screen went black. "If you've defeated one alien ooze monster, you've defeated them all," he jested, waving her over as he switched back to regular television.

With Beast Boy's back turned, Raven turned to gape at Starfire, her eyes wide and shocked.

Starfire grinned so broadly, she could feel the corners of her lips stretching. She gave Raven a small, encouraging wave before shooting out of the room and back into the hallway. Once the door closed behind her, she spun in the air with a soft giggle, proud of her accomplishment. If only it were so simple with her and-

"What are you so happy about?"

She yelped, falling to the ground in her surprise.

"Robin!" she exclaimed, looking up at him.

"Sorry," he chuckled, extending a hand down to her. "Guess I should walk a little louder."

She looked between his hand and his face, resenting the smile on it. Was their failed conversation so easily forgotten?

Ignoring his offered hand, she stood up on her own as Robin let his hand fall back to his side, a bemused expression on his face.

"Perhaps you should," she said simply, flattening her skirt with a few strokes of her hands.

She considered walking past him, but Raven's word echoed in her ears. _'Make him give you a straight answer'._

"Robin?" she started, feeling brave considering her recent success with Beast Boy.

He noticeably tensed in front of her, and she fought to keep from glaring at him preemptively.

"Now that you have had the shower, perhaps we can-"

"Can't, Star," he blurted hurriedly, retreating back toward his room. "I've got loads of research to do. Criminals and what-not."

"But," she argued, pointing at the door behind her, "you were walking this direction."

"Uh, I-I-" he stammered as he continued walking backward, "I was gonna get a soda, but then I remembered I already have one in my room." He chuckled nervously, and she folded her arms and glared at him.

"Robin, I do not-"

"We'll talk later, okay?" he assured unconvincingly, giving her a short wave before disappearing behind the sliding metal.

She glared green at the door, spluttering furiously as she stomped down the hall and into her own room. Silkie was certainly going to hear about this.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

**_Robin_**

He leaned against the door as it closed behind him, inhaling a deep breath. He listened to Starfire's angry footsteps pass his room, hearing her door slide open and closed before he left his post. Rushing to his desk, he opened his laptop to resume the searching he'd been doing.

Perhaps it was pathetic to be scouring Starfire's personnel files looking for ideas, but these were desperate times. He could just hear the crap he would get from Raven if she found out though. All her advice about getting a gift from the heart, and here he was…well, spying, if he was perfectly honest with himself. And poorly at that, because there was not much information in Starfire's file at all. That's what you get when someone's from outer space.

Abandoning his futile snooping, he rose from the chair and walked over to his bed, collapsing onto the red comforter with a heavy sigh. He groaned into the blankets, the words from the computer screen still flashing in front of his eyes in the dark.

"Okay," he murmured to himself, sitting up and crossing his legs beneath him. "From the heart. You can do this. You can totally do this," he attempted to convince himself.

"You can't do this," he amended with a moan, falling onto the bed on his back.

He gazed up at the ceiling, searching the shadows for ideas. Closing his eyes, he breathed deeply, trying to focus. The trouble was, it was very difficult to think too deeply about what to get Starfire without thinking about Starfire herself; something Robin was actively trying to avoid doing.

He knew he shouldn't be avoiding talking to her –he was going to have to eventually- but he didn't know what he was going to say yet. He had a pretty good idea of what her questions would be, he just didn't have the answers. None that would be good enough anyway. Somehow, he didn't think 'I don't know' was going to cut it. But he didn't know. He didn't know what they were; he didn't know what he wanted them to be. Well, he knew what he _wanted_ them to be, but that just wasn't an option. Was it?

His laptop beeped at that exact moment, and he was somewhat relieved for the distraction. Getting up from the bed, he settled back into his chair and answered the video call.

"Hey, Kid Flash," he mumbled as the yellow and red face appeared on the screen.

"Wow!" the boy exclaimed, smiling into the camera. "Bad time?"

Robin grumbled, pinching the bridge of his nose as he shook off his concerns. It wasn't Kid Flash's fault.

"No, I'm just-"

"Being your usual grumpy self," Kid Flash finished with a shrug, and Robin glared at him, though he couldn't have seen it.

"So what's up?" Robin asked, choosing to ignore the jab.

"I have a query about this _surprise_ party of yours," he elongated, leaning in closer to the camera.

"Wow, Raven's recruited you already?" Robin teased, leaning back in his chair and folding his arms.

"Well, she called Jinx, actually," Kid Flash corrected.

Robin made a small flicking motion with his hand as he hissed out a whipping sound.

Kid Flash sneered at him in response. "_Anyway_," he stressed, "do we have to bring presents?"

Robin made a small, low sound of discontentment before he could stop himself.

"Wait," Kid Flash snapped, "you haven't gotten her anything yet?!"

"HE WHAT!?" Robin heard in the background, and he winced at the shrill reprimand.

Kid Flash disappeared from view with a yelp; a pale, angular face with tufts of pink hair replacing him.

"Hi, Jinx," Robin greeted grumpily.

"You haven't got her a present yet!?" she shrieked, her eyes wide.

He liked Jinx, he did, but this was really none of her business. Although, with her being a girl and all…

"I'm trying," he moaned calculatedly, "but I can't think of anything good enough."

Jinx's face contorted with pity. "Well…you could maybe-"

"Oh no you don't!" said another female voice. "Raven told us not to help him, remember?"

Robin cursed loudly, pounding his fists on either side of the computer.

"She's wise to your tricks," Argent continued smugly, pushing into frame to smile at him with black-lined eyes.

"Hey!" Kid Flash popped into view behind the two girls, only his eyes visible over their heads. "This is my call, thank you please!"

He shooed them away and sat back down in front of the computer. "Nice try, buddy," he acknowledged with a sympathetic nod.

"You got any more girls there that wanna yell at me?" Robin snarled, rocking back and forth on the back legs of his chair in irritation.

"Not at the moment," he winked, "but if Starfire's free, ya know there's always room for-"

Robin gave him a scathing look and snarled.

"Too soon?"

Robin continued glaring.

"Too soon," Kid Flash affirmed for himself with a quick nod. "Seriously though," he began, glancing side-to-side and leaning in closer to the screen, "what's going on with that?"

"With what?" Robin probed, even though he knew.

Kid Flash gave him a withering look, and Robin groaned. When he wanted to be, the guy could be irritatingly perceptive.

"I don't know," he sighed, hanging his head and rubbing his temples. "She keeps trying to talk to me about…ya know…"

"The crapshoot in Tokyo?" Kid Flash supplied.

Robin merely nodded, not really able to argue with the description. "And, I mean…I know we have to talk about it…but I don't know what to say."

"Afraid I can't really help you with that, dude," Kid Flash said regretfully.

"Yea, I know," Robin sighed, looking off to the right at nothing in particular as he thought. "Anyway," he started, turning back to the screen, "the present thing's up to you."

"Maybe I'll see if I can show you up," Kid Flash taunted, waggling his eyebrows.

Robin chuckled. "I think anything I get her will be better than your rubber chicken or whatever."

"Unless you don't get her anything," he countered, smirking. "Good luck!" he sang, signing off with a quick wave.

Robin shook his head at the now blank screen, both slightly cheered up and more concerned. He really needed to put more thought into this. Jinx was right; it was coming down to the wire and he hadn't made any progress.

"Hey, Rooooobin," Cyborg chorused from outside his door, "guess who just beat your high scooooore!?"

His chair was left spinning he jumped out of it so fast. Starfire's present would have to wait 'til tomorrow.


	4. Chapter 4

_**Author's Note: **__The beginning of this chapter (it should be obvious what I mean) is one of my favorite snippets that I've written for my fanfics so far. I hope you guys like it as much as I do!_

_**Songs: **__"Nicest Thing" - Kate Nash_

**_Don't forget that the songs and other info about the fics is posted on my tumblr (see my profile page for the link)_**

* * *

**Chapter 4**

Starfire strode into the living room, having been up on the roof meditating for an hour or so already. It was early morning on June 2nd, the fog slowly dissipating over the bay through the wide window. She sighed happily, leaning against the chilled glass.

"Morning," said a female voice behind her.

"Good morning, Raven!" She turned, clasping her hands together under her chin and smiling at the girl.

"Liiiiiittle quieter, Star," Raven admonished, but smiled at her softly through the steam rising off her tea.

Starfire nodded, pressing her lips together to emphasize her silence.

Raven chuckled lightly, moving across the room toward the stairs. "I'm gonna go meditate, you wanna come?"

"I have already done my meditating for this morning, but I appreciate the invitation," she whispered jovially.

Raven shook her head with a small laugh as she pushed the door open.

Starfire watched the metal door clang behind her before turning back to the water. Judging by the sun's position in the sky, it was probably around 9am. Beast Boy and Cyborg would not be up for at least another hour, and Raven would be meditating awhile, so she had this time to herself.

She made herself a cup of mustard tea by mixing some mustard powder with hot water, and settled onto the couch. She sipped gingerly, watching the last remnants of fog disappear. Upon finishing her tea, she placed the empty cup on the table and leaned her head back against the cushions. She sighed contentedly as the sun washed over her, her eyes drooping at the comforting warmth.

She must have fallen asleep because the next thing she knew, her eyes were blinking open to a brighter sun. She moaned softly, turning her head into the pillow to shield her eyes.

The pillow chuckled softly, and her eyes shot open.

"Morning, Sleeping Beauty."

She twisted her head upward to find masked eyes looking down at her.

Robin smiled, and she felt her cheeks turn red as she pulled away from him.

"I- I apologize," she murmured, tucking a few loose hairs behind her ears.

He shrugged, smiling even broader. "It's alright. I kinda came to sit next to you anyway…" he trailed off, running a hand through his hair.

She blushed even deeper as she smiled back at him.

"Um…Robin?" she inquired as her mind starting working again.

"Hmm?"

She looked up at him quizzically. "What is this 'Sleeping Beauty'?"

He turned bright red and looked back out toward the bay, clearing his throat.

"She…well, she is a character in this really old story," he explained to the window. "She's a princess and, when she's born, an evil witch places a curse on her that she will die on her 16th birthday."

Starfire gasped, leaning away from him with a hand over her mouth.

"But it's okay," he quickly interjected, "because a good fairy manages to change it so that, instead of dying, she'll just sleep."

"Sleep?" she asked, shifting closer to him. "For how long?"

"I'll get to that," he laughed, turning to face her now. "So the good fairy hides the princess in the forest, trying to keep her safe from the curse. She stays safe for almost 16 years, and grows up to be…well, beautiful," he trailed off. "Thus the whole 'Beauty' part," he muttered with a wave of his hand.

She nodded, that part at least now making sense.

"One day, while walking in the forest, the princess meets this boy and they..." he paused, his brow furrowing.

"Become friends?" she suggested.

"No, Star," he laughed, "they…fall in love." He blushed at the phrase, which, she must admit, sounded exceptionally odd coming from him.

"So the princess goes home and tells the good fairy about this boy," he continued hurriedly, "and she tells her that she can never see him again because she is already betrothed to a prince of another kingdom, and she is supposed to return to the castle to meet him on her 16th birthday."

Starfire's chest tightened at the familiarity of the story.

"The princess is very sad, but she agrees. As they arrive at the castle, however, the evil witch attacks and attempts to kill the princess-"

She gasped again, eliciting another laugh from Robin.

"She only sleeps, remember?" he chuckled.

"Oh…oh, yes," she breathed, feeling heat rising up her neck.

"So the princess falls asleep and the only thing that can break the spell and wake her up is…well…true love's kiss," he stammered hurriedly.

"But, Robin," she interjected frantically, "she cannot see the boy with whom she is in love! How is he to-"

"Well, that's the thing," he cut in, raising a finger between their faces. "It turns out that the boy she met in the forest _is_ the prince she's betrothed to."

"Oh, glorious!" She clapped wildly under her chin.

Robin dropped his gaze, shaking his head and smiling down at the couch.

"But," he continued, lifting his head once again, "the evil witch captures him and locks him in her castle, determined to never let him reach the princess."

Starfire's eyes widened and she pulled her legs up onto the couch, folding them underneath her as she pushed closer to Robin.

"The prince is locked in the dungeons, but then the good fairy appears and helps him escape."

She leaned forward, her hands anxiously clasped together against her chest as she listened.

"Just as he is about to reach the castle though, the evil witch turns into a huge dragon and blocks his way." He was gesturing grandly now, his voice rising and falling dramatically.

Starfire nibbled on her fingernails, holding her breath.

"The good fairy creates a magic shield and sword for the prince, and he battles the dragon." He paused slightly longer than Starfire liked.

"Does he succeed? Does he save the princess?" she blurted.

Robin laughed a proper kind of laugh, something he hardly ever did.

"Yes," he answered simply, and she breathed again. "He slays the dragon, climbs to the top of the tower where the princess is being kept, and breaks the spell," he finished with a flourish of his hands.

"With a kiss?" she confirmed.

"Yes," he answered softly, "with a kiss…"

"What becomes of them after that?"

"Well, ya know, they live…happily ever after," he finished with a shrug.

"What does this 'ever after' entail?" She rested her elbows on her legs, cradling her head in her hands as she questioned him.

"Well…ya know," he murmured. "They get married and…have kids and all that…" he faded off, looking back out the window.

Her face wrinkled as she thought. "Is that what all earthlings consider to be a happy ever after?"

"Well, maybe not all of them," he mused, "but probably most."

She bit her lip nervously. "Is that…_your_ happy ever after, Robin?" she asked softly, only able to look at him because he was looking away.

He paused for a long time, and she began to worry she had upset him.

"I… That's not really an option for me, Star," he whispered to the city beyond the glass.

"Why not?" she scrutinized, leaning closer to him as she dropped the volume of her voice.

"Star," he said softly, shifting away from her slightly as he turned to face her, "people like…like us, we…we can't have those things. We have responsibilities, responsibilities that would put those people in danger. We have to make sacrifices…" He faded off, looking back out the window with a pained expression.

"People like us?" she probed, not understanding why she was suddenly included.

"Heroes," he answered simply, and her breath caught in her chest at the painful familiarity.

"Robin?" she began, rising from the couch to stare down at him mournfully. "Some sacrifices are too great. Even for heroes."

Without waiting for him to respond, or even look at her, she turned and walked away, heading toward her room. As the bedroom door closed behind her, she melted down onto the bed and finally allowed the tears to trickle from her eyes. She felt something brush against her hand, and looked down to find Silkie whimpering up at her. With a watery smile, she scooped him up and held him to her chest.

"It will be alright, my little bumgorf," she assured as he nuzzled her damp face. "Somehow…"

/\/\/\/\/\/\

**_Robin_**

_'Some sacrifices are too great. Even for heroes_'

Starfire's words swirled around his head as he stared unseeingly out at Jump. She always managed to say just the right thing to make him doubt everything. Or perhaps it was the wrong thing. He didn't even know that much anymore.

He sighed and hung his head, letting his arms dangle off his knees.

Sleeping Beauty. Why did he have to bring up Sleeping Beauty?

_'Is that your happy ever after, Robin?'_

Truthfully, he had thought about it. Not necessarily in the whole white-picket-fence kind of way, but he had always sort of assumed…

He groaned, wiping the thoughts from his mind. He tried not to think about these things, he really did. Like he'd said, it wasn't an option for him. Heroes didn't have happily-ever-afters. They just didn't. But Starfire seemed to think-

His eyes opened wide, his head jolting up. Starfire thought it was possible. Starfire hadn't lumped herself into the 'people like us'. Starfire didn't think heroes had to make that sacrifice.

He felt sick. Incredibly sick. He didn't understand why it was bothering him so much. He couldn't be that person for her. He couldn't give her those things. He knew that. But somehow he'd never taken it the extra step in his mind that someone else would.

Someone else would correct Starfire's English and awkwardly explain idioms. Someone else would make sure the waiter always brought mustard. Someone else would find chunks eaten out of their shoes by Silkie. Someone else would ride ferris wheels and eat pizza and play arcade games and...

He swallowed hard, stopping himself before this got any further out of hand. He didn't have any right to be upset anyway. She deserved those things. She deserved to be happy. He couldn't possibly expect her to wait for him, especially when he was pretty sure he was never gonna show.

"You wanna talk about it?"

He turned around to see Raven standing behind him, surprised that he hadn't heard her approach.

"You're kind of screaming," she added with a half smile.

He let out a sad sort of chuckle and shook his head. "I'm fine," he assured. "I was just…thinking."

It was obvious Raven didn't believe him, but she was never one to push either.

"Everyone's getting here at 4," she informed him, dropping her voice and leaning in. "I figure that gives you guys plenty of time to decorate."

"_We're_ decorating?" he clarified, his eyes widening in his confusion.

"Hey, I'm taking her shopping _and_ we're getting our nails done," she snapped. "I think I'm taking enough bullets for the day."

He laughed and raised his hands in surrender. "Fair enough," he conceded. "So when are you guys leaving?"

"Around 11 or so, I think," she answered with a shrug. "We'll be back around 4:30, so be ready!" She jabbed a finger in his face threateningly.

He raised two fingers on his right hand. "Scout's honor," he assured with a smirk.

"You're not a boy scout," she scoffed.

"I'm the Boy Wonder," he countered.

She guffawed. "Well, _Boy Wonder_, have you gotten a _wondrous_ present yet?"

He swallowed hard.

"Robin!" she hissed, casting a frantic glance around the room to ensure they were still alone. "You only have tomorrow left, ya know?"

"I'm aware, thanks," he grumbled. He was very,_ very_ aware. Working-himself-into-a-panic-attack aware.

"Alright," she replied skeptically, shrugging and heading into the kitchen. "Hey, have you seen Beast Boy?" she added innocently.

"No." He got up from the couch and started toward his room. "I think Cyborg said something about working on the T-Car though, so he's probably down there getting in the way."

Raven chuckled faintly as she rummaged through the cupboards. "Have you had lunch?"

"Late breakfast," he answered as the door opened in front of him.

"Alright, I'll check with Star or something. From the heart!" she reminded as he left the room.

It was incredibly disturbing sometimes when she did that.

He sat down in his computer chair once he got to his room, staring at the screen. Researching had gotten him as far as it could-which was nowhere-and now he had to think for himself.

Starfire… Starfire likes…purple.

Wow, he was bad at this.

He groaned and slumped in the chair, letting his head loll back as he stared at the ceiling, pushing his feet so he spun. Watching the stucco spiraling above him, his mind sifted through memory after memory, trying to find some hint she had dropped. Had she mentioned needing anything? Stopped to draw his attention to something in a window? Pointed something out in a magazine? Nothing came to mind, however, and he was left with a swirl of unhelpful images of fireworks and row boats and-

He gasped, jolting forward so fast, he had to clutch the edge of the desk to keep the chair steady. Physically laughing with relief, he jumped up and, after checking his wallet to ensure he had enough, raced out his bedroom door.

"Raven!" he called as he skidded into the living room, hoping she was still there.

She was sitting at the kitchen counter, fresh plate of spaghetti in front of her and a smug smile on her face, not appearing the least bit surprised to see him.

"I got an idea!" he exclaimed joyously, racing over to her.

"I see that," she mocked, but the smile was sincere.

"But, can you tell me one thing? Just one thing," he added as her expression darkened. "I promise it's not the main present."

She narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, scanning his face. "Well…alright," she agreed hesitantly.

"What's her favorite flower?"

Raven blinked, her eyes widening with surprise before softening as she smiled. "Orchids," she supplied.

"Great! Thanks!" he called over his shoulder with a quick wave as he ran toward the stairwell door.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Starfire wandered out into the living room, Silkie still in her arms, to find Raven just finishing the spaghetti she had been offered to partake in. She had muttered a quick refusal to the door, trying to keep the tears out of her voice, but she was certain Raven had noticed. As if to prove the point, Raven turned to her, the concern evident on her face.

"You okay?" she asked, twisting in her chair.

Pulling the corners of her mouth up insincerely, she answered as cheerily as she could manage. "Certainly, Raven!"

"Sit," Raven said simply, patting the chair beside her, and Starfire let the smile slide off her face.

Setting Silkie into one of the many beds he had scattered around the Tower, she walked over to Raven and took the offered seat.

"What happened?"

Starfire sighed heavily, spinning her fingers around one another in front of her. "It is nothing, Raven. Merely a disagreement with Robin."

"You guys had a fight?" she asked, surprised.

"No," she hesitated, not entirely sure how to describe it, "it was more akin to a…discussion, but it did not end pleasantly."

"Gonna need some more details, Star," the girl probed, eyebrows raised.

"Well, he was explaining to me the Sleeping Beauty and the happy ever-afters and how most earthlings desire such things-"

"Speak for yourself," Raven interrupted with a scoff.

"-and I asked Robin if that was what he desired-"

"Okay, stop," Raven ordered, raising a hand between them, "no need to say any more."

She looked at the dark girl curiously, her head tilting.

"He got all weird about it?" she assumed with a sad smile.

Starfire nodded. "He said that heroes could not have such things. That we have responsibilities and sacrifices must be made."

"And you…?" Raven trailed off, spinning her hand to gesture Starfire to continue.

"I disagreed," she finished.

"Ah," Raven responded, folding her hands on the table in front of her, "that explains it."

"Explains what?" she asked.

"Nothing," Raven waved off. "I was just sensing something when I was talking to him earlier."

"What were you sensing?" she pressed, leaning in anxiously.

"Star," Raven cautioned.

"I know," she sighed disappointedly. Raven never revealed to her what she sensed from Robin. It would be unfair, and she could understand that. She certainly would not want her to reveal things to Robin.

"I can tell you it'll be fine though," Raven comforted, and Starfire smiled across at her.

"Hey!" a voice boomed from behind them, and she turned to see Cyborg and Beast Boy entering from the stairs. "You guys wanna see the mods I just put on the T-Car?"

"Hem-hem!" Beast Boy interjected, glaring at him.

"Fine," Cyborg said with a roll of his eyes, "_we_, the mods _we_ put on the T-Car."

Beast Boy beamed and nodded his approval, bracing an arm on the back of Starfire's chair as they approached.

"Uh…maybe we'll just see them in action?" Raven ventured.

"That's a great idea!" Cyborg praised, and Starfire caught the faint whisper of Raven's sigh of relief. "You really don't get the full effect otherwise."

"So," Beast Boy began, sticking his head between the two girls, "you guys eaten yet?"

"No," Raven answered quickly, shifting her empty plate to the side.

"But, Raven, you- OW!" she yelped as Raven kicked her hard in the shin.

"Uh…great!" Beast Boy gave Starfire a curious looked as he leaned back. "Chinese?"

"Sounds great," Raven agreed, sliding off her chair to stand in front of Beast Boy.

"Um…yes," Starfire chimed in, uncertain if she was permitted to join, or if she would be kicked again. "That sounds like a marvelous idea."

"Great!" Beast Boy said with a clap. "Shall we?" he asked in a jokingly formal tone, offering an arm to Raven.

Raven merely rolled her eyes and walked past him, and Starfire could not help but giggle. Raven may be improving, but she was still Raven.

Cyborg insisted they use the T-Car for transportation to the restaurant, pointing out every enhancement along the way. Considering she was sitting in the front seat, it was her responsibility to nod and make the appropriate noises of awe, so she was very grateful when they pulled into the lot of parking outside the establishment.

They were seated immediately, and given their usual semi-circular booth in a back corner. Cyborg slid in first, and Starfire followed after Raven elbowed her in the ribs. She shot the girl a glare as Raven entered after her, Beast Boy closing off the end.

"Okay!" Beast Boy began, rubbing his hands together before picking up one of the ordering packets. "Where do we start?"

"How about the spring rolls?" Raven suggested, leaning in to point to the page Beast Boy had open in front of him.

"But those are vegetarian and I can't eat all of them," Beast Boy contested, looking down at the back of her head.

"We could share," she offered, pulling away to look up at him.

"Really?" he confirmed, and Raven nodded. "Well…okay. If you're sure."

"Yea, I'm not really all that hungry anyway," Raven said with a casual shrug.

Starfire snorted, earning another kick under the table, but she was at least able to keep from crying out this time.

"What do you want, Star?" Cyborg pressed as she unfurled her own ordering packet.

"Um…" She surveyed the various options, realizing she had no idea what most of the words meant. Her eyes flicked to her left, impulsively looking for Robin in his usual spot. She did not realize until he was absent just how much she relied on him in these situations. He usually told her what to order, giving her various options that he thought she would like, and with an impressive amount of accuracy as well.

"Here," Cyborg said gently, leaning over, and she flashed him a grateful smile. "These are all chicken"-he gestured to one panel of selections-"this is the pork and beef"-he pointed to the opposite page-"and the seafood ones are on the next page. All the sides are in that little box at the bottom."

"Sides?" she probed.

"Yea, like rice and eggrolls and stuff," Cyborg clarified with a shrug.

She bit her lip nervously, scanning frantically, but all the words just melded into black and white blurs.

"Raven?" she squeaked, tugging at her friend's cloak.

Raven leaned over and pointed. "Szechuan beef. Fried Rice," she answered the unasked question.

"Thank you," Starfire murmured, and they exchanged small smiles before Raven twisted back to her conversation with Beast Boy.

She repeated Raven's words over and over in her head until the waiter came, at which point she blurted it out at him, and he nearly dropped his pencil in surprise. Before long, the food had arrived and conversation died down as everyone ate.

Cyborg had ordered at least three items, all of which appeared to be meat, and Beast Boy was attempting to disgust him out of enjoying them.

"Ya know where a lot of that beef is from?" Beast Boy probed, pointing angrily across the table.

"Uh…Texas?" Cyborg guessed through a mouthful.

"The cow's butt!" Beast Boy shouted, prompting Raven to place a warning hand on his arm, her usual sign to all of them that they needed to calm down.

"Huh," Cyborg appraised, examining the food on his spearing instrument, "who knew cow butt could be so delicious?"

Beast Boy groaned and slammed his head on the table as Starfire and Cyborg laughed. Raven, however, merely smiled and patted his shoulder comfortingly. He twisted his head to the side to smile back at her, and Starfire herself beamed at the exchange.

She was glad that she had been able to assist Raven in her feelings for Beast Boy. Raven was always such a good friend to her when she was having the boy troubles; it was very gratifying to be able to repay her in some, small way.

After finishing their meals, Cyborg suggested they go down the street to the shop of ice cream, so the group filed out onto the sidewalk and began the short walk. Beast Boy and Cyborg were walking ahead of the two girls, eagerly discussing which flavor they would try, which gave Starfire a chance to talk to Raven.

"Did you enjoy your second dinner, Raven?" she questioned, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

"Shut up," Raven muttered, giving her a light nudge with an elbow.

Starfire giggled, looking at the back of Beast Boy's head some distance in front of them.

"Have you discussed with Beast Boy your feelings?" she asked quietly, looking back across at Raven.

"No!" Raven hissed, her eyes shifting frantically. "I don't even know if I have…feelings."

"But of course you do!" she insisted, stopping to gape at the girl. "Why else would you-"

"Star!" Raven reprimanded, pointing furiously toward the pair walking ahead of them. "Look, I just don't know yet, okay?" she continued quietly.

"Well, when you-"

"You'll be the first to know," Raven conceded with a roll of her eyes, beginning to walk again.

Starfire smiled after her before catching up just as they reached the entrance to the shop of ice cream. Beast Boy and Cyborg were already inside, their breath condensing on the glass as they peered into the cases.

"I don't know! I can't pick between Coconut Fudge and Raspberry Cheesecake!" Beast Boy agonized, shifting from side to side as he pointed.

"Well, I know what I want!" Cyborg announced grandly, leaning away from the case. "Maple Bacon!"

"You've got to be kidding me!" Beast Boy criticized, stomping his foot for emphasis. "You can't even have _ice cream_ without meat!?"

"What can I say," Cyborg said with a shrug, "I like what I like."

Beast Boy stammered furiously as he glared back at him, evidently unable to form complete words.

"Uh, I would go with the Raspberry Cheesecake," Raven interfered, grabbing Beast Boy's arm and pulling him back toward the case. "You got Coconut Fudge last time."

"I did?" Beast Boy mused skeptically, and Raven nodded. "Huh… How did you remember that?"

"Because you spilled it all over me," she reminded flatly, crossing her arms.

"Oh, right," he answered meekly, scratching the back of his neck as he blushed. "What do you want, Star?" he redirected.

"Um…" she murmured, pressing her index finger to her lips as she peered through the glass, "what is this red one?"

"Raspberry Sherbet."

She turned toward the voice, her heart fluttering as she broke into a wide grin.

"Robin!" she chorused, floating over to embrace him. It was very difficult to stay upset with him after she had missed him so dearly at the Chinese restaurant.

"Uh, hi," he chuckled, stepping back out of her hug.

She lowered herself to the ground in front of him, hurt and curious. It was then she noticed the grey, plastic bag he was clutching in his hand, which he quickly shifted behind him as soon as her eyes alighted on it.

"I saw you guys coming in here on my way back," he explained, looking past her narrowed eyes to address the group, "thought I'd check in."

"You wanna grab some ice cream with us?" Cyborg offered, moving to stand beside Starfire.

"No, I should get back," he declined simply, taking a small step backward toward the door.

"Why?" Beast Boy pried. "We're all here."

"Still," Robin answered sternly, "I have some stuff I gotta take care of. I'll see you guys later." He was gone just as quickly as he had arrived, the silver bell above the door tinkling with his absence.

"Well, okay then," Beast Boy mocked into the silence, turning back to his discussion of ice cream flavors with Raven.

Starfire sulked, staring out the panes of the door as the familiar roar of the R-Cycle was heard somewhere up the street. With a sigh, she too returned to the glass cases, asking Cyborg a few more questions before settling on Rocky Road.

Cyborg insisted they eat at one of the tables in the shop instead of taking the ice cream back to the T-Car, so it was quite awhile before they arrived back home. Beast Boy immediately challenged Cyborg to one of the video games, and the two raced over to the couch, jumping over the back to land hard on the cushions. The sudden rush of noise and movement alarmed Silkie-who had still been sleeping in his bed-and he leapt up with a squeal, wriggling over to Starfire's feet as quickly as he could.

She lifted him up with a giggle, holding the quivering creature to her chest. "It is alright, my little bumgorf," she comforted. "There is nothing to fear."

Silkie's whimpering faded to purrs as she carried him toward the door, figuring settling him into her room for awhile would probably be best. As she walked down the hall, she noticed the light was on in Robin's room, and she slowed as she passed. She could hear a faint crinkling and shuffling emanating from behind the door, but she did not stop to listen any more thoroughly.

She settled Silkie down on her bed, and he immediately curled up with a contented yawn. Smiling down at him, she turned off the lights and left the room to allow him to sleep. As she was returning to the living room, Robin emerged from his room, his sudden appearance startling her.

"Oh, hi," he blurted, evidently a little startled as well.

"Greetings," she answered, one eyebrow rising with suspicion.

"Uh, what-what are you doing?" he muttered hurriedly, causing her eyes to narrow.

"I am going to the living room," she explained warily.

"Weird, me too," he said, walking ahead of her.

She followed cautiously, watching as he entered the room and darted into the kitchen. He opened several drawers, hands digging around in each before moving on to the next.

"What is it you are looking for, Robin?" she asked, joining him.

"Um…tape," he answered simply, not looking up from his search.

"For what purpose do you need tape?"

"To stick things to other things," he replied curtly, and she glared at the back of his head.

With a small huff, she twisted and walked away from him, crossing the room to join Raven where she sat on the sofa. Robin was always secretive, but it was exceptionally irritating lately.

She sank low into the cushions, grumbling with annoyance.

"I'll make some tea," Raven offered knowingly, and Starfire gave her a small smile.

She watched Beast Boy and Cyborg bicker and taunt until Raven returned, handing her the cup of steaming, mustard tea.

"So," Raven began, sipping delicately, "I was thinking we'd leave at around 11 so we have time to shop before our nail appointment."

"It really is not necessary for you to do all of this with me, Raven," she lamented. "I know you do not like the shopping or the nail painting."

"It's your birthday, Star," Raven insisted. "Besides, it was my idea."

"I suppose," she conceded, staring thoughtfully into her tea, "but I still feel the guilt."

Raven chuckled into her own tea. "Well, stop it," she insisted, and Starfire could not help but smile. "It'll be fun. And then, when we get back, we'll all do presents."

Starfire giggled with excitement, making Raven smile and shake her head gently.

"You're ridiculous," she muttered.

Starfire merely beamed back at her.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note: **__Lots of adorable moments for everyone in this chapter, and you find out what Robin got Starfire for her birthday! Hope you enjoy! Review and such, as always!_

_**Songs: **__"Goodnight and Go" - Imogen Heap_

_**As always, the songs and other info about the fics can be found on my tumblr (see profile page for link)**_

* * *

**Chapter 5**

**_Robin_**

Robin sat at his desk, his pencil tapping rhythmically against a still-blank sheet of paper. Getting the present had been hard enough, but what the hell was he supposed to write on the card?!

He had been trying to come up with ideas for the better part of an hour, and all he had managed to do was make smudge marks with residual lead from the eraser as he bounced it across the notebook. With a frustrated groan, he slid the offending paper aside and put the pencil down on top of it before opening his laptop in front of him. Pulling up the video chat application, he double-clicked the yellow lightning bolt and waited.

"Miss me already?" Kid Flash crooned in a horrible impression of a southern dame.

Robin sneered at him, and the boy chuckled in response.

"Okay, I guess we're Serious Robin today," he teased. "What's up?" he added, his voice now slightly closer to genuine.

"I wanted to give Starfire her present tonight," he started, checking the clock. It was 3:26 on June 3rd, so he still had a little over 8 hours until midnight, "but I can't figure out what to write on the damn card!"

"You got her a present?" Kid Flash blurted, jolting toward the screen.

"Don't act so surprised," he countered, offended by the reaction.

"Sorry," his friend chuckled, "I just didn't think you'd pull it off."

"Yea, well, I did," he confirmed angrily, "but now I have the card to contend with."

"Why didn't you get one that already had a sappy poem in it?" the boy questioned.

"Well…I didn't actually buy one at all," Robin divulged, and Kid Flash snorted.

"What, are you making it yourself? Cutting out construction paper hearts and writing your initials in glitter glue?"

"No, I'm saving that for _your _birthday," Robin countered with a smirk.

"Oh, stop! You're gonna make me blush!" Kid Flash cooed, batting his eyelashes.

"Ya know, you're a little_ too_ good at that," he mocked, earning himself a glare. He laughed before getting back to the point. "No, I just figured I'd use a piece of paper," he said with a shrug.

"The present better be nice," Kid Flash muttered, and it was Robin's turn to glare.

"Helpful, really."

"Okay," Kid Flash granted, his face turning thoughtful, "how about… Starfire, sorry I'm an emotional cripple-"

"Flash," he reprimanded.

"No good?" the boy checked. "Alright, what about… Starfire, I really think your skirt should be shor-"

"Flash!" he warned sternly, hands clenching into fists.

"Fine," Kid Flash sighed resignedly, cupping his chin with a hand as he appeared to be genuinely thinking. "Maybe…maybe it's best if it's the sort of thing I couldn't help you with," he mused.

"What do you mean?" Robin probed.

"Well, like…something that just makes sense to you guys," he continued awkwardly.

Robin's eyebrows furrowed as he considered it.

"Ya know, Flash," he appraised, smiling into the webcam, "you might have actually come up with a good idea."

"What, the skirt thing?" the boy joked. "Yea, I've been thinking about that for awhi-"

"See ya tomorrow!" Robin interjected, ending the call as Kid Flash opened his mouth to object.

Pulling the notebook back in front of him, he picked up the pencil, tapping the eraser against his bottom lip. An idea came to him, and he lowered the pencil to the paper, smiling as he wrote.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"I do not understand," Starfire said, sitting between Beast Boy and Cyborg on the couch and looking down at the controller in her hand curiously. "Why must I obtain a sword if my primary objective is to retrieve the scroll?"

"Because you'll need the sword to defeat the boss at the end of the level," Beast Boy explained, guiding her fingers across the various buttons and dials.

"Why do I wish to defeat this boss?" she questioned, watching as the character she was apparently controlling kicked some sort of creature down a flight of stairs.

"Because he's big and ugly and mean," Beast Boy replied hurriedly.

"That hardly seems like a satisfactory reason," she chided, frowning.

Beast Boy groaned and swiped the controller from her. "You're gonna get me killed, Star!"

Her eyes widened as she twisted toward her friend.

"In the game," he clarified in response to her frantic expression. "You're gonna get my character killed."

"Oh…" she mumbled, looking down at her lap sheepishly.

"Um, Star?"

She tilted her head back to find Robin's inverted face looking down at her.

"Robin!" she squealed, floating up off the couch and flipping in the air so she could land on the ground facing him.

"Can you help me with something in the garage real quick?" he requested, flicking a thumb toward the stairwell door.

"Certainly," she agreed with a nod, and he shot her a smile before leading the way.

"So what do you require my assistance with?" she asked as she passed through the door to the garage that he held open for her.

"Nothing," he said with a shrug, "you just looked like you needed rescuing from Beast Boy."

She looked at him quizzically for a moment before breaking into giggles as she understood. "Yes, he is rather adamant about teaching me, but I do not believe I am improving much," she admitted with a shy smile.

"I dunno," Robin mused as he wandered over to kneel next to the R-Cycle, "at least you don't hold the controller upside-down anymore."

She laughed, taking a seat on a large, metal trunk beside him. "That is true," she acknowledged, planting her hands behind her as she leaned back on her arms. "Perhaps, in time, I will even know what the buttons do!"

Robin laughed, the deep sound echoing around the room and making her heart palpitate strangely. He was digging around in a big, red box; pulling out various metal tools he used to twist or pound components on the R-Cycle.

"Hey, as long as you're here," he said, turning to look at her, "you wanna help me with this?"

She bit her lip, looking at the various instruments he had laid out in front of him. "I…I do not believe I will be able to."

"You'll be fine," Robin chuckled, beckoning her with a wave of his hand.

She looked nervously between the devices on the floor at Robin, but it was truly impossible for her to deny him when he was smiling at her like that. Rising up off the trunk, she settled to the floor beside him, her hands folded self-consciously in her lap.

"Okay," he started, turning toward her, "what we're doing here is changing the oil." He shifted a large dish underneath the motorcycle. "It's kind of…well, it's a disgusting job, actually," he muttered, and she giggled, "but I'll do the gross parts."

He removed his gloves and placed them off to the side before picking up one of the metal instruments. "This"-he tapped her hand lightly and she turned it over obediently-"is a wrench."

She turned the tool over in her hand, tracing her fingers across the lettering down the handle.

"And that"-he tapped something underneath the motorcycle-"is the drain bolt. What you do is"-he grabbed her hand and guided it toward the motorcycle-"put the wrench over the bolt and twist it. You gotta be careful though 'cause as soon as it comes loose-"

She yelped as she pulled back out of Robin's hand, the wrench clanging to the concrete as it slipped through her fingers. A thick, black substance was gushing from the R-Cycle, spilling into the dish Robin had placed underneath. She turned to look at him, her eyes wide and panicked.

"Robin, I-I am so sorry, I did not-"

"Don't worry about it, Star," he chuckled.

"But-but-" she stammered, pointing toward the streaming goo, "I broke it. It is…bleeding!"

"That's what it's supposed to do, Star," he said simply. "It's oil. I have to drain the old stuff and put new oil in every so often to keep the bike running properly." He pulled something out of the hole she had created and set it in the pan with the black liquid.

"Then…it is not damaged?" she clarified, still eyeing the motorcycle suspiciously.

"Not at all," he assured, smiling softly. He reached into the red box to his left and pulled out a towel. "Here," he said, taking her hand and wiping it gently. "You got a bit on you."

"Oh…" she replied faintly, her mind distracted by the feel of Robin's skin against her own.

He had held her hand plenty of times before, but it was somehow different when he was not wearing his gloves. Instead of the usual cool smoothness, his hand was warm in hers, and she could feel the slightly rough texture, assumedly calluses from his excessive training. She was so distracted by the feeling that she hardly noticed when the towel stopped moving.

Confused, she looked up to find him staring at her, an indescribable expression on his face. It was both pained and confused, and his breathing was shaking slightly. She could not ask him what was wrong, however, because his proximity had suddenly eliminated her ability to form words.

"Trouble!" he shouted as the alarm blared around the room, the warmth of his hand abruptly disappearing as he jumped to his feet.

Her hand fell limply onto her leg as she followed his retreat with forlorn eyes. The door closed behind him as he raced to the stairs, grabbing his gloves as he passed, and she sighed down to the concrete.

"You coming?" He poked his head back into the room around the door.

"Certainly," she affirmed with a nod, rising off the floor and flying up the stairs behind him, trying to push her emotions aside for the moment.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

**_Robin_**

"What is it?" he pressed as soon as he and Starfire burst into the living room.

"Dr. Light," Beast Boy answered, and there was a unanimous groan.

"Ya know, I could just-"

"No," Robin interrupted, and Raven closed her mouth, "we go together."

The group nodded in agreement as Cyborg hit the button to retract a portion of the front windows, and they split into their usual pairs. Cyborg dove out the window, Beast Boy following quickly behind him, and they disappeared for a moment before a green pterodactyl rose out toward the bay with the half-robot in his claws. Raven shot out after them, her blue cloak flapping behind her.

Robin raced toward the window, knowing she would be following. He leapt out and Starfire flew over him, grabbing his outstretched arms in their usual trapeze hold, the whole motion nearly mechanical at this point. He wrapped his gloved fingers around her arms, just below her elbows, as they flew over the bay. Looking down, he saw their watery reflections in the bay-purple blending into red and green-as they soared toward the city.

Her fingers dug into him tighter as they rose, and the bay gave way to the city beneath him. They weaved through various buildings following Beast Boy-who could only be trusted because he was getting directions from Cyborg-as Robin scanned the ground below them, smiling down at the people that were pointing or waving.

Robin loved flying; he could definitely understand why Starfire went out just for fun sometimes. Sure, he was an acrobat, but it simply wasn't the same. He had his grappling hooks and his flips and stylized falls and tumbles, but he couldn't fly. Not like this. He lifted his head to smile up at Starfire, but stopped short at sharing his thoughts when he saw the look on her face.

She was staring resolutely ahead, but still looked somehow distracted. Distracted and a little sad.

"Hey," he started, squeezing her slightly to get her attention.

She rattled her head as if coming out of a trance and looked down at him, her expression quizzical.

"Are you okay?" he inquired, his eyebrows furrowing.

She flashed him a painfully insincere smile. "Of course," she chirped in that slightly-higher-pitched tone she always used when she lied.

He frowned back at her, but her only response was to return to staring forward after the rest of the team. Dropping his head, he gazed back down at the ground, losing his previous excitement. He knew why she was upset, he did; he just always asked for some reason. Probably because it kept him from having to talk about it. He knew, if he asked her, she would lie, and that would mean he was off the hook. But it wasn't fair.

A yellow beam shot uncomfortably close to them, shaking him out of his thoughts. Dr. Light stood on the pavement below, blocking the attacks Cyborg was already issuing from the air. Beast Boy dropped him to the ground and immediately phased into a rhino, charging toward the villain.

Though he couldn't hear it, Robin could see Dr. Light was laughing as he leveled his hand toward the green attacker. A beam of energy shot out, sending the rhino rocketing backward through the air as it hit.

"Star-" he began, intending to tell her to drop him and get Beast Boy, but Raven caught him in a sphere of black energy. She lowered him to the ground before landing beside his now human form.

"Where?" she asked simply, her tone somewhat cold.

"Um…"-he scanned the fight unfolding below them-"right at him?"

"Very well," she agreed, but he could tell she wasn't terribly pleased with the idea.

She shot quickly forward into the fray before stopping and pulling him up in front of her. He flipped as she released him, removing his bo-staff from his belt as he fell toward Dr. Light. He saw the man's eyes widen as he approached, his boot on target to hit him directly in the chest. The impact never came, however, and he found himself tumbling backward as he was repelled by some unseen barrier.

Starfire's hands crossed across his chest as she caught him, her arms sweeping through to support him under his armpits. His hands flew up as his arms continued backward with the momentum, and he felt his right hand collide with her shoulder. He left it there, gripping the curve of the bone and warm flesh as she veered quickly to the left to dodge a beam. Strands of red hair fluttered around his shoulders, feathering across his cheeks as she twisted and turned through the attacks, and he could feel her chin jostling against the right side of his head.

She shrieked suddenly, the shrill sound giving him shivers as it bored into his ear. He felt her arms loosen around him, and he reached down to grab her wrists, pinning them tightly to his chest. She fell limp against his back as they began to fall, and he shifted in her unconscious grasp so her arms were draped over his shoulders. Gripping both her wrists firmly against his chest with one hand, he ripped a grappling hook from his belt with the other and shot it out toward a lamppost ahead of them.

The metal wire wrapped around the light and clanged into place, and Robin held tightly as the cord was pulled taught. They swung in an arch toward the ground, and he shifted Starfire's deadweight up higher on his back so he could get a better grip on her as his feet made contact with the pavement. He ran a few steps, slowing them down so they didn't fall flat on the concrete, turning as he went. He let her slide off his back to the left as the momentum faded, and he caught her around the waist as they jolted to a stop at the end of the wire. If not for the grappling hook still stretched between his extended right arm and the lamppost, it would have looked like he was dipping her in some sort of dance.

"Starfire!?" he cried, retracting the grappling wire back into the gun and replacing it on his belt so he could support her with both arms. He gingerly sank to the ground, pulling her slumped body against his chest as he kneeled beside her.

"Starfire!?" he called again, brushing the hair off her face so he could see her eyes.

She moaned faintly, and her lashes fluttered to reveal dazed, green eyes. "Robin?" she murmured, and a heavy sigh of relief escaped him as he began breathing again.

"Are you okay?" he asked, casting a quick glance to the right to ensure no further attacks were coming. The other Titans appeared to have it under control, however, considering Dr. Light was already grumbling in binds on the ground.

"I was hit," she said weakly.

"Yea," he confirmed. "Are you hurt?"

"I-I fell," she continued, her face confused as she began shifting her gaze side-to-side, "but you-you-"

"I caught you," he finished slowly, concernedly scanning her searching eyes for signs of a concussion.

"Of course," she said simply, surprising him with a small smile.

He let out a faint, awkward chuckle, looking away. "Yea, I think you're fine," he muttered self-consciously, releasing her as she sat up. He rose to his feet, helping her up with an offered hand.

She winced as she stood, one hand shooting to her back, and he twisted around to look. There was a vaguely circular mark on her back, and though it wasn't bleeding or anything, it was quite red. It would likely have turned into a pretty nasty bruise if not for-

"On it," Raven assured as she appeared, seeming to read his thoughts. Her hands were encased in the glittering, blue healing energy as she hovered them over Starfire's back.

Starfire winced and inhaled sharply, but her face quickly changed to relief. "Thank you, Raven," she said with a grateful smile, which Raven faintly returned.

"You guys take care of Dr. Light?" Robin asked, returning to leader-voice now that he wasn't worrying.

"Piece of cake," Cyborg snorted, pointing behind him to where the criminal was being loaded into the back of a police car.

"Yea, for a guy that calls himself Dr. Light, he's not very bright," Beast Boy punned, cackling at himself. He quickly faded off, scanning the silent group. "Oh, come on, you guys!" he whined. "That was comedy gold!"

"Must've been fool's gold," Raven mocked dryly, and, at that, everyone laughed. That is, everyone except Beast Boy, who waggled his tongue at the cloaked girl.

"Hey, as long as we're out, why don't we pick up some movies for tonight?" Cyborg suggested excitedly.

"Yeah!" Beast Boy agreed enthusiastically, whereas Raven merely shrugged.

"Sure," Robin agreed, jolting forward slightly as Starfire latched onto his arm.

"Oh, may we please rent the flick of the chicks?" she pleaded, bouncing slightly. "There is one that I have been most eager to see!"

Beast Boy groaned, but was cut off by a sharp elbow to the ribs from Raven.

"Birthday," Raven hissed at him, and Beast Boy's face fell in defeat.

"Why don't we just get a couple movies?" Robin suggested, trying to appease the scowling changeling.

"Fine," the green boy conceded, and Starfire squealed with delight, lifting Robin's arm slightly as she floated into the air.

He smiled up at her, shaking his head slightly. It was unbelievable how easy she was to please. You'd think Beast Boy had just agreed to give her a kidney.

"Glorious!" she cried, and he yelped with alarm as she tugged him forward. "Let us go!"

Eventually, Star seemed to realize that he was going to follow her willingly and she released her grip on his arm, opting to walk beside him instead. They walked in silence, listening to Beast Boy and Cyborg argue over what movie to get while Raven interjected with quips about how stupid some of their points were. Every now and then, Starfire would giggle at a particular comment and he would glance over at her, uncertain whether she found it genuinely funny or simply didn't understand.

When they arrived at the video store, Beast Boy and Cyborg raced to the Action/Adventure section, pushing and shoving all the way, and Raven wandered over to the snacks. This left him to be the unfortunate, albeit expected, victim of Starfire; who dragged him to the romantic comedies so fast, he wasn't sure if his feet had been on the ground.

"So," he strained, scanning the titles fearfully, "which one did you wanna get?"

"I do not recall the name," she mused, bending down to scan the lower shelves.

"Well, what was it about?" he suggested.

"A boy and a girl were the best of friends," she explained, wandering a short distance away to check another section of shelves, "but then the girl begins the dating with another boy, and her friend realizes he has the feelings for her and seeks to do the breaking up of them."

Robin laughed loudly, unable to control himself, but stifled it as Starfire turned to look at him with annoyance. "I'm sorry," he said quickly, still chuckling slightly, "it's just…that pretty much describes half of these"-he gestured to the entire aisle.

She tilted her head at him curiously before folding her arms and smirking slightly. "Well, then I suppose we shall have to make many trips to the video store if I am eventually to see them all."

He gulped, any remnants of laughter vanishing. "So, you remember what the characters looked like?" he diverted, picking up the nearest box and pretending to read the back.

She giggled softly, moving to stand beside him. "The girl had the brown hair that was long, and the boy had blonde hair."

"Eyes?" he asked, narrowing down the options.

"The girl's I believe were brown, and the boy's were blue."

"Of course they were," Robin muttered under his breath, his chest tightening uncomfortably. "This them?" he asked, plucking a box from the bottom shelf and lifting it up in front of her.

Her eyes lit up as she snatched the box from him. "Yes, yes this is the film!" she squealed, pointing down at it. "Oh, thank you, Robin!" She wrapped her arms around him tightly, his breath leaving him for several reasons.

"You're welcome," he wheezed, sucking in oxygen as she released him. "You guys done?" he called over to Cyborg and Beast Boy, who had now moved into Science Fiction.

"Roger!" Beast Boy answered with a salute, and Robin rolled his eyes behind the mask.

"Raven?" he checked as the group converged around the shelves by the cash.

"I got everyone's favorite," she answered, brandishing the boxes. "Except yours," she added, gesturing to Beast Boy. "They were out."

"No yogurt-covered raisins!" he cried, horrified. "This- This is an outrage! A tragedy! A crime against-"

"Relax!" Raven interrupted, and the rambling boy immediately quieted. "We'll stop at the grocery store on the way back."

"Oh," Beast Boy muttered sheepishly, "well…okay."

"Alright, let's go," Robin corralled, nodding toward the checkout.

It was always an incredibly awkward experience buying things in Jump. Sure, people were used to seeing them, but you could tell they were paying particular attention to the things the Titans bought so they could put it up on some stalker blog later. It was just uncomfortable.

"We should look into Netflix," Cyborg mumbled to him as they left the store, nodding back toward the leering cashier.

"Agreed," he replied with a quick nod as they dispersed onto the sidewalk.

"Hey, where are you going?" Cyborg called as Beast Boy and Raven began walking the opposite direction.

"I gots to get my yogurt-covered raisins!" Beast Boy cried incredibly overdramatically.

"But you're my ride," Cyborg reminded.

"So come with us," Beast Boy countered, pointing a thumb down the street.

Cyborg hesitated a moment, his face thoughtful, before shrugging. "Yea, alright," he agreed, walking down to meet the pair. "Maybe we can pick up some grub while we're at it."

"What are we supposed to do?" Robin questioned after them, the bag from the video store swinging with his arms.

"You two go back and start that chick flick," Beast Boy suggested with a wicked grin, and Robin scowled down the street at him.

"Yea," Raven chimed in, walking backwards to yell up at him, "we'll be back with food in about…an hour and a half."

"But it'll be over by-"

"Exactly," Raven interrupted, and he glared at her as she shot him a wave and turned back to laugh with the rest of the retreating trio.

"Robin?" Starfire asked, and he turned to see her looking across at him nervously. "We could- That is, if you do not wish to-"

"It's fine," he anticipated, shooting her a quick smile for added sincerity. "But are you okay to fly home? 'Cause I'm sure Raven could-"

"I am undamaged," she assured, nodding affirmatively.

"Well…alright," he agreed, eyeing her skeptically, "if you're sure."

She smiled and shook her head before reaching across to grab his arm. "You do far too much of the worrying, Robin," she chided as she lifted him off the ground.

He opened his mouth to argue, but thought better of it and merely grumbled.

She giggled at his irritation, which actually made him less irritated for some strange reason.

It was probably around 7 if he had to guess, considering he had to squint into the sun that was gradually lowering over the bay. Another hour and a half –right about the time the meddlesome trio would be returning- it would be setting, but for now it was merely inconveniently blinding. He looked up at Starfire, wondering how she could possibly see where she was going, but she didn't seem the least bit troubled by the glaring light.

Before long, they were entering back through the living room window, and she set him gently down on the red carpet in front of the couch before closing the window. It was far too cold to leave it open at this point, and the others could always use the door.

"I'll make the popcorn," he said simply, setting the bag of videos and candy on the coffee table before heading into the kitchen.

"Oh no, allow me!" she insisted, pushing past him and floating into the kitchen herself.

"Uh…Star?" he began cautiously, not sure what to say that would both not hurt her feelings and keep the Tower from burning down. "I-uh…I don't know if-"

"Sit, sit!" she insisted, and he hesitantly obeyed, poised on the edge of the couch in case he had to dive for the fire extinguisher.

She pulled the box of popcorn out of the cupboard and lifted a package out. Removing the plastic and tossing it lightly in the garbage, she unfolded the panels and grabbed a bowl from one of the lower drawers before heading back toward the couch.

"Um, Star, you need to-" but he was cut off by a rapid, popping noise as the bag inflated in her hand.

"It is simply much faster this way," she explained with a shrug as she plopped down on the couch next to him.

He watched with wide eyes as the bag finished expanding in her hand, and she ripped open the top to pour the perfectly-cooked contents into the green, plastic bowl.

"I didn't know you could do that," he said faintly as the smell of butter wafted up to his nose.

"Well, when Cyborg is here, he does not allow me to", she griped, popping a few kernels into her mouth. "He believes I will do the burning down of the house."

Robin laughed as he stood up, fishing the DVD out of the bag and walking over to the player. He placed the prismatic circle in the slot and hit the button to close the door, ensuring it was loading before heading back. Starfire tucked her legs up for him to pass, and he swiped the remote off the table as he settled down beside her, the bowl of popcorn creating space between them. He pressed the appropriate key as soon as the DVD menu montage began, and the screen went black as the opening music started.

"Sour gummy worms?" he offered, pulling her box of candy out of the bag.

She smiled and nodded as she took the box from him, peeling back the cardboard tabs.

He removed his package of cherry-flavored licorice from the bag and pulled apart the plastic, picking a rope out and putting the end in his mouth. Chewing through the gummy twist, he stared up at the screen as the two leads bantered flirtatiously, fighting the urge to snort. He glanced over at Starfire -wondering how she could possibly be enjoying this- to find her staring rapturously at the screen, a gummy worm hanging out the corner her mouth. At that, he really did snort, and she turned toward him.

"What?" she asked, lifting a hand to rip the gummy worm in her teeth.

"Nothing"-he shrugged and grabbed a handful of popcorn-"you're just really focused."

"Is that bad?" She tilted her head curiously, but her eyes were self-conscious.

"No, not at all," he assured. "It's just…people don't usually find movies like this as…enthralling, as you do." He smiled at her, but she continued looking at him skeptically.

"Why not?" She pulled her legs up under her on the couch, turning toward him with interest.

"Well, people generally watch movies like this just for fun," he explained, gesturing toward the screen, "but you're like…really invested." He chuckled, trying to assure her that it wasn't something wrong with her.

"For fun?" she clarified, her eyes flicking distractedly between him and the movie.

"Yea, like…" he hesitated, trying to find the words, "people might watch one if they're sick or tired or had a rough day and they just need a laugh. Or if they're on a date," he added thoughtlessly, his hand freezing mid-way between the popcorn bowl and his mouth as he realized what he'd done.

"Oh," she answered plainly, looking back up toward the screen.

He stared at her for a moment, surprised by her lack of reaction, but he was certainly not going to argue the point. Turning back to the screen, he tried to focus on the film as best he could, relieved that he at least had popcorn and candy to make this bearable. Even with that, though, time seemed to drag on endlessly as he watched the two obviously meant-to-be people scamper around their feelings through the various hijinks that unfolded.

Finally, they reached the part where the man was confessing his love, which he knew must be near the end. It was perfect timing too, because he had just run out of licorice. As the girl started crying and the man pulled her into his arms for the completely-unexpected kiss, Robin twitched uncomfortably and had to look away. When he looked away, however, he saw Starfire's face and his heart stopped.

Her eyes were sparkling with tears as she held her head in her hands, her elbows propped up on her knees as she leaned forward. In spite of the tears, she had a small smile on her face, but even that looked sad and dazed. A lump rose in his throat as he watched her, confused and guilty. He didn't know exactly what was going on, but he was fairly sure, whatever it was, it was his fault.

The room went dark as the film ended, and she disappeared for a moment. When the credits began to roll and her face came back into the light, he had to blink rapidly to ensure he wasn't seeing things. All signs of her previous distress were gone, and she was smiling broadly as she closed her box of gummy worms.

"Well, that was quite enjoyable!" she chirped, turning to look at him.

All he could do was stare stupidly in response, scanning her eyes for remnants of the tears he was sure had been there a moment ago.

"Was it truly that horrible an experience for you, Robin?" she asked gently, obviously misinterpreting his silence and slack expression.

"Um, no," he blurted out, regaining his senses. "No, it…it was fine."

She considered him suspiciously, but he was spared any further questioning by the stairwell door opening.

"Indian food!" Cyborg bellowed, lifting the bulging, brown, paper bags he had in his hands.

"Oooo!" Starfire squealed, rushing over to take a bag from him. "This is most well-timed! We have just concluded our movie and I am considerably hungry!"

"Aw, we missed the movie!" Beast Boy moaned sarcastically, snapping his fingers.

"We could watch it again if you wish, Beast Boy," Starfire offered, and there was something in her voice that made Robin suspect she knew exactly what she was doing.

"Uh," the green boy stammered nervously, his eyes shifting around the room, "no, that's okay, Star. I'll- uh- I'll get over it."

"If you insist," she allowed, helping Cyborg line up the Styrofoam boxes on the counter while Raven grabbed plates.

"So, you guys ready to watch the most action-packed alien-invasion movie ever made!?" Cyborg boomed as he piled a plate high with various delicacies.

"I thought that was the one we watched last week?" Raven asked as she scooped out some rice.

"No," Beast Boy answered with a roll of his eyes, "that was the _goriest_ alien-invasion movie ever made."

"Oh, of course. My bad," Raven mocked, and Beast Boy sneered at her across the counter.

Robin grabbed a plate and wandered down the line, taking a bit of everything except the insanely spicy chicken samosas he had only needed to try once. He was the last one to get to the couch, but his usual spot next to Starfire had been saved. He was a little hesitant considering the previous movie-watching experience, but surely an alien movie wouldn't inspire tears. Sliding in-between her and Cyborg, he balanced his plate on his lap and dug into one of the varieties of rice with his plastic fork.

"Alright," Beast Boy called to order, rising from his spot next to Raven to stand in front of them all. "Be warned, this movie is not for the faint of heart. Small children, people with heart conditions, and women that are or may be pregnant are advised to-"

"Just start the movie!" Robin interjected, balling up a napkin and throwing it at him.

Beast Boy dodged the projectile, glaring at the laughing foursome on the couch before grumbling over to the DVD player.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Oh, it was truly glorious, Raven!" Starfire sighed dreamily. "It is most unfortunate that you missed it."

"Yea, bummer," Raven mumbled with a roll of her eyes.

After the alien movie had ended and their used plates had been deposited in the sink, Starfire had retired to Raven's room to question the girl on her time with Beast Boy. Throughout the hour or so they had been in there, Starfire was fairly certain she had heard everyone else go into their bedrooms for the night.

"Wasn't it weird though?" Raven asked, and Starfire turned toward her curiously.

"To what are you referring?" she countered.

"Watching a chick flick with Robin," Raven clarified exasperatedly. "I mean…that's practically a date."

She smiled, dropping her gaze to the blue blankets. "No, it was not the weird, nor was it one of the dates."

"If you say so," the girl replied with a shrug and a yawn. "We should probably get some sleep. Gotta get up bright and early for the birthday festivities!" Raven lifted her hands and waggled them side-to-side in a mock gesture of excitement.

Starfire chuckled, turning to look at the clock on the table beside Raven's bed. It was indeed nearly 1 in the morning, and they had planned to leave at 11.

"I suppose you are correct, Raven," she conceded, floating up off the bed and across the room to land in front of the door. "I shall see you in the morning."

Raven responded with a wave of her hand as the door closed between them, and Starfire hovered down the hallway humming to herself. As she floated into her room however, she abruptly dropped to the floor with a thud and a gasp.

There, sitting on her bed, was the most beautiful orchid she had ever seen, which was not incredibly difficult because she had never seen one in real life, but it was exceptionally stunning even compared to the ones she had seen in magazines. It was tall, with several flowers stretching up the length of it. The petals were white, and the center of each flower was speckled with deep purple and yellow. As she bent closer to examine it, she saw the tag attached to the stalk read '_Cymbidium Vanity', _which she assumed was the plant's name, along with instructions on how to care for it.

She clutched a hand to her chest as she beamed, trying to keep her ever-expanding heart from bursting through. Something glittered in the corner of her eye, and she looked down to see a small box wrapped in sparkling, purple paper. In front of the box was a folded piece of white paper with familiar, black handwriting spelling out_ 'Starfire'_ on the cover. She could barely pick it up, her hands were shaking so badly.

_It's got everything but the fireworks._

_Happy Birthday,  
Robin_

She somehow managed to smile even bigger, though she was admittedly a little confused. Tracing a finger across his name, she set the piece of paper to the side and took up the box in her hand. Daintily unfolding the wrapping, she pulled it away to see a plain, white cardboard box. She slid a fingernail through the thin piece of tape securing the lid and lifted it, careful to hold the package over her bed in case it slipped through her quivering fingers. Something wrapped in brown paper met her eyes, and she gingerly reached a hand inside to remove the object from its confines. Tossing the white box aside and dropping to her knees in front of her bed, she set the mysterious item on the mattress in front of her and began pulling away the protective layer. As the last of the brown paper peeled away, she gasped and leaned toward it, her eyes taking in every, minute detail from inches away.

_'It's called a snowglobe,' _she remembered Robin explaining to her as she had admired it that day at the carnival. _'You twist it, like this, and the glitter swirls around. Some of them even play music.'_

She turned the present over and, indeed, there was a small, silver knob on the bottom. Turning it a few times as Robin had all that time ago, she righted the ornament to examine it properly as tinkling music began to play.

The base was heavy and round, sculpted and painted with various carnival scenes. There was the spinning carousel of animals, clowns holding the bundles of plastic inflatables, one of the rolling coasters, and even a man in a red, striped hat distributing the swirls of the cotton candies. On the top, encased inside the water-filled sphere, was a tall ferris wheel. Glitter fell around it, catching in the various brightly-colored cars that were frozen in revolution around the glass sculpture.

"Robin..." she breathed, tears coming to her eyes even though she was far from sad.

She looked up at the wall that separated their rooms, wanting to burst through and embrace him with gratitude, but she did not wish to awaken him. He was not usually asleep this early though; perhaps she could thank him after all? She bit her lip, uncertain, and then smiled as an idea occurred to her. She floated to the window, unlatching it quickly and floating out into the cool air. She tentatively drifted toward Robin's window, intending to simply peer quickly into Robin's room to see if he were still awake.

"Well!?" she heard an vaguely familiar voice -but definitely not Robin- say as she approached, and she realized Robin's window was open slightly.

She should not listen. She knew she should not listen. She should go back to her room and thank him in the morning.

Peering her head over the bottom of the window frame, she saw Robin standing beside his desk, still wearing his mask and what was apparently his usual sleeping attire -a t-shirt and boxers. She rose up a little higher, trying to ascertain what exactly was happening in the strange scene in front of her.

Robin was standing against the wall, his ear pressed to the plaster as he waved down at the open computer sitting on his desk.

"Shh," he hissed, "she'll hear you!"

"Well maybe I should just ask her then," the male voice said again, and Starfire recognized it as Kid Flash.

"Will-you-stop!?" Robin snarled, lifting off the wall momentarily to bend closer to the screen before returning to his post.

She smiled and shook her head. Robin could be quite sweet when no one was looking. Or when he thought no one was looking, at least.

She floated soundlessly back to her room, careful closing the window now that she knew she was being monitored. Moving to stand in front of the portion of the wall she knew he was on the opposite side of, she shot him an unseen smile before floating out the door to commence her show.

"Raven?" she whispered as she knocked on her friend's door, and the girl answered immediately.

"What are you so happy about?" she grumbled, and Starfire would have felt guilty for waking her if she were not so overjoyed.

"I am in need of your assistance," she hissed, her eyes shifting nervously down the hall toward Robin's room. "I have just opened Robin's present and I wished to thank him, so I did the spying through his window to see if he were still awake-"

"Innovative," Raven praised with a half-smile.

"-and I saw him listening against the wall discussing with Kid Flash on the computer about my reaction-"

"So you want me to go down there so you can fawn over it without talking to yourself like a crazy person," Raven interrupted matter-of-factly, folding her arms in front of her.

Starfire smiled and nodded mutely.

"Well, alright then," Raven agreed with a shrug, stepping out in the hall. "I'm kind of curious anyway."

Starfire beamed across at the girl, grabbing her arm with a stifled giggled as she hurried her down the hall.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Author's Note: **__I apologize in advance. I couldn't let it just tie up all nice and fuzzy so quickly. But it will! I promise!_

_**Songs: **__"Take Me Out" - Franz Ferdinand_

* * *

**Chapter 6**

**_Robin_**

He stood on the edge of the roof, hands in his pockets as he looked out over the bay. Although he was already in full uniform, he could still feel the chill in the morning air as a breeze whipped past him, but it didn't bother him. He liked the calm, quiet of the morning far too much to let the cold deter him, and it was going to be such a busy day, he needed the calm for now.

It was probably nearly 10 by now and Starfire and Raven would be leaving around 11. As soon as the door closed behind them, everyone was going to have to kick it into high gear to get everything done in time. They still hadn't told Beast Boy, managing to slip the decorations and snacks in over the past few days without him noticing, but his extra pair of hands probably wouldn't be of much help anyway. Although, considering the only two members of the team that could fly would be gone, perhaps they could use him to hang streamers.

Other than the decorating though, everything was taken care of. The pizzas were already ordered-set to be delivered at 5 to allow time for initial greetings and such-, the ice cream was in the freezer in the garage, the cake was in the fridge in Cyborg's room, and the endless varieties of chips and soda were stashed in Robin's closet. He had to shift bags of barbeque just to get to his socks, but hopefully it would be worth it. She'd probably love it. Just like she'd loved his present.

He smiled to himself even thinking about it. She'd talked to Raven for at least half an hour, pointing out various details and winding it up over and over. Raven's responses had gotten bored after awhile, but Robin never tired of listening. He had pressed his ear to the wall until he heard Raven leave, and then there was slight thud as Starfire assumedly got into bed before the music started once more. Really, the only mistake he had made was telling Kid Flash when he was planning to give Starfire her present, so of course he had called to snoop. Robin hadn't told him very much though, just the gist of what the girls were saying and a quick explanation of what the present was and what it meant. Flash had had a field day with that. Robin wasn't sure he'd ever stop teasing him, but he didn't care. She'd loved it, and that was all that mattered. But he'd still rather no one else find out about it…

"Robin?"

He spun around, heart racing as he smiled stupidly at the girl in front of him.

"Hi," he said a little too excitedly, and he mentally ordered himself to calm down.

She smiled, walking forward and brushing a lock of red hair from her face as the wind displaced it, and his breath caught in his chest.

"Raven is making the pancakes," she said as she grew level with him. "I thought it would be polite to invite you, although I do believe I am the only one who enjoys Raven's pancakes."

He chuckled and smiled across at her. "Yea, I think I'll pass," he answered before looking down at his feet, which he was shuffling uncomfortably.

"Um…Robin?" she pressed, and he looked up to find her closer.

He open his mouth to respond, but only a faint, strangled exhale escaped him, and she smiled in that small, meek way that told him she understood.

She leaned forward suddenly, and he felt soft lips feather against his cheek with a brush of warmth.

He blinked into her green eyes, dazed and blushing furiously as she pulled away.

"Thank you," she whispered with a small smile before floating away from him and back across the roof toward the door.

He followed her with his eyes, his mouth still slack and gaping. He had finally managed to pull it together enough to smile back at her when she turned to him before disappearing through the door. He smiled at the closed door, weakly at first, but gradually more and more broadly as it sank in.

"YES!" he exclaimed with a punch to the sky when he could no longer contain the enthusiasm. He then chuckled to himself, still grinning as he turned back to the bay.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Which one do you prefer, Raven?" she asked as she peered down the row of nail polishes the salon offered. "The green or the purple?"

"Star," Raven whined, "they're both great. Now just pick one!"

"But it is such a difficult decision!" she countered, picking the two choices up to turn them over in her hands.

"I picked mine pretty quick," Raven snapped, holding up her bottle of sparkly, blue polish.

She giggled and placed the purple one back on the rack, keeping the glittery green in her hand. "This one, please," she said to the woman that had been waiting next to her, and the lady smiled brightly before gesturing her to sit.

Starfire settled in the big, black, padded chair next to where Raven had been waiting and settled her feet into the hot, bubbling bath at her feet. The sudden warmth sent duckbumps up her legs, and she giggled as the bubbles collected around her ankles.

"I can't believe you enjoy this," Raven muttered, but Starfire thought she looked awfully relaxed for someone that supposedly hated the experience.

"It will be enjoyable, Raven," she reassured, even if she did not think it was necessary to convince her. "Simply relax," she added, leaning back and closing her eyes as the water rushed around her feet, massaging the soles.

Raven sighed loudly, but Starfire heard her settle further into the chair.

"Woah, hey, what are ya doing?" Raven yelped after awhile, and Starfire opened her eyes to find the girl pointing accusatorily at the woman down at her feet.

"I-uh-" the woman stammered, looking nervously at the silver scraping device she held in her hand.

"It is part of the pedicure, Raven," Starfire explained with a gentle hand on her friend's arm. "They scrape the ugliness off of your feet and then spread the lotion to make them ever-so soft!"

The women behind the baths giggled at that, but Raven looked over at her skeptically.

"Why would I need soft feet?" she pressed.

"Raven?" Starfire sighed exasperatedly.

"Fine," the girl snapped, collapsing back into her chair, arms folded stubbornly.

Starfire smiled across at her before grabbing a magazine from the table beside them and settling back into her own chair.

"Soooo," Raven began after awhile, and Starfire lifted her head to look at her with anticipation, "what happened this morning on the roof?"

A small squeak of surprise broke through her lips, and she blushed furiously.

"W-What do you mean?" she asked, lifting the magazine to hide the smile she could not keep off her face. The magazine was abruptly encased in black and pulled away.

"You can't stop smiling even now!" the girl teased, and Starfire reached up to pluck the magazine out of Raven's energy and pull it back down over her face.

"Come on," Raven pressed, looking at her determinedly, "what happened?"

Starfire sighed and lowered the magazine to her lap, realizing there was simply no escape.

"I…was merely thanking Robin for his present," she answered hurriedly, looking out the window of the salon.

"Oh, you were merely thanking Robin for his present," Raven reiterated mockingly. "Well alright then, guess I'll just drop it."

Starfire turned back to find Raven staring at her, one eyebrow raised as she smirked.

"Nothing remarkable occurred!" she insisted, but she could feel the heat in her cheeks betraying her.

"Okay, if you don't wanna tell me, that's fine," Raven shrugged, and Starfire sighed with relief. "I'll just have to ask Ro-"

"Alright!" she conceded, crashing her head into the cushioned back with frustration and defeat.

Raven leaned in with a smug smile, her eyes waiting.

"I- Well, I thanked him," she began, talking to the magazine cover in her lap, "and then…well, I may have- There may have been-"

"Ya know, I could call him right n-"

"I kissed him on the cheek!" she blurted, lifting the magazine over her face frantically as she sank into the chair.

"You what?!" said three shocked voices in unison, and out of curiosity alone she lowered the magazine.

Raven was staring at her, eyes wide, as well as the two women that were working on their feet.

"I- Well, I-" she stammered, hesitantly looking between the three.

"It is about time," the woman at Raven's feet said, returning to massaging one of the oils into Raven's skin.

"Definitely," the other woman agreed, nodding. "He was never gonna do anything; about time you made the first move."

"See, I _told_ her that, but she just wouldn't listen," Raven affirmed adamantly, waving to Starfire.

"I-I do not..." Starfire mumbled, still thoroughly confused by this sudden conversation.

"Oh, Star, you and Robin are _so_ obvious," Raven explained with a roll of her eyes. "Everyone knows."

"Everyone?" she asked, breathlessly embarrassed.

"Everyone," the three girls repeated, nodding as one.

"We talk about it every time we see you guys out," the woman at Starfire's bath elaborated.

"Yea, the whole city's rooting for ya," Raven's lady added, smiling broadly up at her.

However uncomfortable it was to learn strangers were discussing intimate details of your life, Starfire still found herself warmed by the comments.

"Well…I thank you," she replied, grinning down at them. "Oh, Raven!" she cried, clapping her hands together excitedly, "is this not the best pedicure you have ever obtained!"

"Definitely," Raven affirmed with a snort.

Starfire's smile fell as she glanced over at her friend knowingly. "This is your only pedicure, is it not?"

"Yep," the girl snapped back, but she smiled all the same.

Starfire returned with a small smile of her own, and leaned back into her chair.

"I wonder," she said to the women, a vengeful thought occurring to her, "do the people of the city also discuss the relationship between Raven and Beast Boy?"

"The WHAT!?" the two ladies bleated in unison, freezing in the middle of their work.

Raven turned bright red and glared across at her, but she merely smirked and began humming happily to herself as she turned back to her magazine.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

**_Robin_**

"A little to the left," Robin directed, tilting his head as he motioned to the green parrot that was holding one end of a half-hung banner.

The parrot shifted in response, and Robin squinted.

"Liiiiiittle more," he pressed, holding up his thumb and forefinger with minute space in-between.

The parrot let out a fabric-muffled squawk of indignation, but moved slightly all the same.

"Perfect!" Robin approved with a thumbs-up.

An arrow came shooting past him, pinning the banner to the wall and making the green parrot tumble to the ground with a squawk of fright.

"Dude!" Beast Boy reprimanded as he rose to his feet, human once more. "Aren't ya s'posed to yell 'fore' or something?!"

"My bad," Speedy answered with a shrug, moving to stand beside Robin. "Say, where'd you get that banner, anyway?" he asked, pointing up at the painted, white decoration.

"We made it," Cyborg answered proudly, coming to stand on Robin's other side.

"Yea, we didn't really want the whole city knowing it was Starfire's birthday," Robin added practically, and Speedy nodded understandingly.

"I still can't believe you guys didn't tell me about this party," Beast Boy muttered angrily, stomping toward them. "I wouldn't have told."

"Just like you didn't tell Raven what I got her for her Christmas?" Cyborg countered.

"Or told Cyborg about Bumblebee's surprise visit for his birthday?" Robin added.

Beast Boy opened and closed his mouth several times, raising a finger every time as if he were about to make a point. Finally, he merely grumbled and folded his arms, stalking past them into the kitchen. "Whatever, I'm gonna get the chips out."

"Oh, no, Kid Flash is doing that," Robin called back over his shoulder.

"But he's not even-" A breeze blew through the room, ruffling the streamers.

"Nevermind," Beast Boy finished darkly, and Robin turned to see several bowls filled with different varieties of chips and Kid Flash leaning against the counter at the end.

Robin laughed as he unwrapped a package of paper plates. "Why don't you put the plastic utensils out, Beast Boy," he suggested.

"I think it'd be better over here," he heard a commanding female voice say, and he turned to see Bumblebee directing Argent and Jinx, who were carrying a large table between them. Well, Jinx was carrying it, Argent was using her powers.

"Will you just pick a spot!?" Jinx shouted, and the table crackled with her pink energy.

Suddenly, Más y Menos appeared beneath her end of the table, and Jinx was pushed aside. It was obvious Jinx didn't understand what they were saying, but their gestures made it apparent that they were going to take over for her.

"Oh. Thank you," Jinx said, flashing them a warm smile, and the twins sighed and blushed in response.

"So, is everyone here now?" Beast Boy questioned from where he was blowing up helium balloons with the tank they'd rented.

"Almost," Robin answered as he tossed Bumblebee a tablecloth. "Aqualad should be here any minute."

A balloon popped loudly, and everyone turned to see Beast Boy standing wide-eyed, remnants of mylar in his hair.

"Aqualad's coming?" he asked, turning off the helium and very obviously trying to sound nonchalant.

"Um, yea," Robin replied, assuming this would be obvious considering Más y Menos and Speedy were there. "Why?"

"No reason," Beast Boy replied hurriedly before busying himself with the balloons.

"BB?" Cyborg sang at him teasingly. "Do you not like Aqualad?"

"I like him fine," Beast Boy muttered, lowering his voice as he glanced nervously at the girls that were still fiddling with the table. "I just…don't like…" he hesitated, his brow furrowing.

"How much Raven likes him?" Cyborg said in the same teasing tone, and Robin smirked.

"She does not!" Beast Boy snapped, flapping a limp balloon as he shook his hand at them. "He just… He makes her stupid. And I don't like it," he concluded with finality, his glare daring them to continue.

They didn't, both of them merely chuckling and shaking their heads as they returned to their work. Just then, as if on cue, the doorbell rang.

"Got it!" a red and yellow blur shouted. The stairwell door banged open and a moment later, standing in the room with them looking rather taken aback, was-

"Aqualad!" Cyborg chorused, and Robin glanced over to see Beast Boy wince. "Were your ears burning?" Cyborg asked him, approaching the black-haired teen.

"What?" Aqualad asked, perplexed, but Cyborg merely laughed and hooked an arm over his shoulder.

"Nothin', come on in!"

"Um," Aqualad interjected, slipping out from under Cyborg's arm and lifting a blue bag, "where do I put this?"

"Over here," Argent answered, patting the present table, which was now draped with a sparkling, white tablecloth.

"We should get ours on there too," Cyborg reminded, heading toward the hallway that led to the bedrooms. Beast Boy got up to follow him, but the pair stopped in the doorway.

"You coming?" Cyborg asked, and Robin lifted his head to realize he was talking to him.

"Oh, no," he answered simply, returning to unwrapping the stacks of plastic cups and hoping they wouldn't ask any more questions.

"You don't have a present?!" Beast Boy bleated, calling far too much attention to the discussion.

Realizing everyone was now staring in a not-so-subtle way, Robin sighed and turned back to face them. "No, I already gave it to her," he mumbled pointedly, trying to imply he wanted them to drop it.

"Really?" Cyborg pressed, and Robin sighed heavily. "When?"

"Last night," Kid Flash answered, suddenly appearing at Robin's side, bracing an elbow on his shoulder.

"Flash!" Robin hissed, but only received a wink in response.

"What'd you get her?" Bumblebee interjected, and Robin groaned.

"Can we just get back to-"

"This!" Flash announced, reappearing at Bumblebee's side with Starfire's snow globe in his hand. "And some fancy flower," he added with a shrug.

"Flash!" he scolded, his hands balled into fists as he stomped across the room, snatching the present back. "You can't just go into her room like that!"

"What's the fun of being able to vibrate through solid objects if you don't snoop?" the boy answered, grinning, and Robin scowled back.

"Oh, that is so sweet!" Jinx whimpered, taking the globe from his hands and examining it.

"Is that 'cause of that time we went to the carnival?" he heard Cyborg's voice behind him, and twisted to glare up at his friend.

"Aw, was that like your first date or something?" Bumblebee crooned.

"Okay, enough!" Robin bellowed, snatching the snow globe from Jinx and breaking through the group. "And it was NOT a date!" he clarified, pointing at Bumblebee.

"So…you guys aren't together?" Speedy asked, his tone strange.

Robin looked at him through narrowed eyes he couldn't see. "No, we're not," he answered simply before addressing the group at large. "Now can we get back to work, please?" he chided, and the group mumbled their assent and drifted away to their respective tasks.

Grumbling to himself, Robin skulked through the hallway door and headed down to Starfire's room. He removed a glove to place his hand on the panel next to the door, and it opened to admit him. It was strange to him that Starfire had everyone's handprint programmed into her door, so she could only be assured privacy when she locked it from the inside, which she hardly ever did. That kind of trust was something Robin simply could not comprehend, but he found it admirable nonetheless.

He walked over to her nightstand, setting the snow globe down beside the orchid, which is where he assumed she had been keeping it. A small smile formed on his face as he stood there for a moment, looking down at his handiwork. Yea, it had been a little humiliating having everyone find out like that, but it wasn't so bad.

"Hey, loverboy?" he heard Kid Flash call, and he quickly turned and looked inconspicuous as he walked back out into the hall. "Raven just called," the boy explained as he approached, "we got about 10 minutes."

Robin nodded, and they headed back toward the living room to get into position.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Thank you for the glorious outing, Raven!" Starfire sang as they flew back toward the Tower, her shoes stored in one of her shopping bags to give her toes extra time for drying.

"Sure thing," Raven acknowledged flatly, her shoes also off at Starfire's insistence.

Starfire beamed back at her as the Tower loomed in front of them and they began their descent to the roof.

"Oh, I can hardly wait to open my presents!" she squealed, bouncing up and down as her feet connected with the concrete, her shopping bags shaking wildly in her hands.

"Easy, Star," Raven cautioned as she settled down beside her with a flutter of her cape.

Starfire merely giggled and took off toward the stairwell.

"Wait!" Raven called after her, and she stopped and whirled around abruptly. "Shouldn't we put our shoes on?" she suggested, pointing down to her bare feet.

"Why would we do that, Raven?" she asked, chuckling. "Then no one would see our glorious, painted toenails!"

"Right, of course," Raven mumbled, walking across the roof to meet her. "What was I thinking?"

With a laugh, she grabbed Raven's hand and pulled her through the doorway, flying down the stairwell to the next floor.

"Friends," she announced as she pushed the door open, pulling Raven with her as she entered the living room, "you will not believe-"

"SURPRISE!"

She squeaked, startled, dropping her shopping bags as she jumped into the air. As she got over the initial fright, she saw several, familiar faces smiling at her from behind chairs, sofas, counters, and every imaginable corner in-between. Her eyes caught a massive strip of what appeared to be fabric draped above the television, the words 'Happy Birthday, Starfire!' displayed on it in a variety of bright colors.

"I-I-" she stammered, searching through the faces, still thoroughly stunned.

"I guess you were surprised," someone chuckled, and she focused in on Robin breaking from the crowd to walk toward her.

She beamed at him, rushing forward to wrap him in her arms. "I am most surprised!" she squealed, lifting him off the floor in her joy.

"I'm glad," Robin wheezed, and she set him back on the ground with an apologetic smile.

"Oh, friends, this is a most glorious reception!" she chirped, her hands clutched together under her chin as she smiled at everyone in turn.

"This may truly be my best birthday! Raven made the crunchy pancakes and we got the pedicures and-" She cut off, turning around to narrow her eyes at the girl. "You were doing the distracting of me, yes?" she accused.

Raven shrugged and gave her a small, shy smile. "Guilty," she muttered, and Starfire's face fell. "But, I had fun too," Raven added hurriedly, and her face returned to its previously smiling state.

"You got a pedicure?" Argent asked, stepping forward to point at Raven.

"Argent!" Starfire shrieked, racing over to the girl and enveloping her in a hug.

"Wow, that's quite the hug," Argent chuckled weakly, rubbing her arm as Starfire released her.

"And Jinx and Aqualad and Bumblebee and Speedy!" she chorused, smiling at them all as she named down the row.

A breeze ruffled her hair and she was left with a flower in her hand. "And Más y Menos," she added, smiling down at the flower.

"Show offs," someone muttered, and she turned to see Kid Flash leaning against the kitchen counter glaring across at the twins.

"And Kid Flash!" she cried, and the boy shot her a two-finger salute and a wink in response.

"Oh, and my friends!" she whimpered, swooping over to where Beast Boy and Cyborg were standing and gripping them both in a hug. "You are all most thoughtful for planning my birthday celebration!"

"Okay, we feel the love!" Cyborg strained, wriggling in her grasp, and she obediently released him.

Beast Boy stretched, his back cracking several times before he shuffled away to stand beside Raven.

"Nice toes," he remarked, pointing down at her feet.

"Shut up," Raven muttered back, a half-smile on her face in spite of the fact that she elbowed him in the ribs.

"Okay," Robin called to attention, and she turned to find him standing behind her, "the pizzas get here in like 20 minutes-"

"Great, because I'm starv-"

"The chips," Robin continued, cutting Speedy off with a glare, "and soda and such are on the counter, and the cake and ice cream are gonna come out later."

Starfire smiled broadly at him, her mouth opening to reply when Kid Flash interrupted her.

"What ya got for entertainment?" he questioned, appearing beside Robin with a handful of chips.

"Movies!" Beast Boy interjected, several plastic film boxes piled up in his hands.

"And music!" Cyborg added, pointing toward a console against the wall.

"We're not gonna dance, are we?" Raven moaned.

"You bet your Azarathian ass, we are!" Beast Boy answered, and everyone laughed at Raven's exasperated expression as he began flailing exaggeratedly in circles around her.

"Not until later though," Robin offered, and Raven nodded to accept this faint consolation.

"So, what do you wanna do first?" Bumblebee asked, pushing forth from the crowd with her hands on her hips. "Movies or presents?"

She bit her lip, contemplating. Glancing over to a corner of the room, she saw a long, sparkly table piled with wrapped boxes, and her stomach twisted with excitement.

"Perhaps," she began, still gazing longingly at the presents, "it would be best to begin with the movies due to the arrival of the pizza shortly?"

Robin chuckled faintly, and she looked to see him shaking his head as he followed her gaze to the present table. "You don't have to do them all at once, ya know," he offered.

She tilted her head curiously, and he smiled in response.

"You could open some now and then save the rest for later," he elaborated, and she gasped with delight.

"Truly? That is permissible?" she clarified, her knees bouncing.

"It's your birthday!" Speedy shouted from his location on the opposite side of the couch. "Everything's permissible!"

She squealed, clapping her hands wildly as she flew over to the table, settling down in front of it and gazing thoughtfully at all the various packages.

"I do not know where to begin!" she mourned, biting at the nail of her right index finger.

"Ooo! Mine, mine!" Beast Boy blurted, suddenly appearing beside her with a package wrapped in light blue paper. There were 4 bows -all of various sizes and colors- stuck in seemingly random places around the present, and she looked up at him curiously.

"Yea, I, uh, ripped the paper…a few times," he mumbled, chuckling nervously.

She beamed at him, taking the present out of his hands and peeling back the paper. "Oh, thank you, Beast Boy!" she cooed as she pulled a long, purple scarf from the confines of the crinkling wrapping. "It is most wondrous!" she added, bending down to give him a hug.

"Uh, you're welcome," he replied, scratching the back of his head self-consciously.

"And you got me a gift card," Raven scathed, coming up behind him.

"To your favorite spooky bookstore!" he defended. "That took thought! At least I knew it was your favorite!"

Raven glared at him for a moment, but then her expression softened and Beast Boy sighed with relief.

"Okay, who's next?" Cyborg beckoned, but the chorus of responses was interrupted by the doorbell.

"PIZZA!" Kid Flash bellowed, and in two barely-separated puffs of air, he was back with a stack of steaming cardboard boxes.

"I call 5-Meat Extravaganza!" Cyborg shouted, pushing through the group.

"No competition there," Beast Boy muttered disdainfully, and Raven giggled from behind her hand beside him.

…

Music blared as the Titans spun and twisted around the dancing area that had been formed by pushing the sofa and chairs against the wall, beside the table that was now covered with unwrapped presents.

She had received mostly jewelry from the girls, one of the cushions of whoopie from Flash –which he had thoughtfully had her name printed on-, a purse from Raven, candy from Más y Menos and Aqualad, a bottle of very fancy mustard from Cyborg, and a picture frame from Speedy. She was overjoyed with all of her presents, and many people had gasped out of a hug from her through the opening process.

Now, however, it was dancing time and she was currently being twirled around by Beast Boy, who was lifting their intertwined hands over her head to spin her so often that she was getting the dizzy.

"Beast Boy!" she laughingly scolded, placing her free hand on his shoulder for support.

"Mind if I cut in?" a soft voice said behind her, and she turned to find Raven smiling at her.

"Sure!" Beast Boy cried, pushing past Starfire to grab Raven's hand.

"Not you!" she reprimanded with a small laugh, slipping her hand out from his. "Her," she clarified, snaking an arm through Starfire's as she slid past Beast Boy, who was gazing at her dejectedly.

"Oh…right," he murmured, ruffling the hair on the back of his head uncomfortably.

"I'll, uh…catch you later though," Raven offered, and Starfire received a sharp jab in the ribs as the beginning notes of a squeal rose in her throat.

"I'm gonna hold you to that," Beast Boy replied with a wink before disappearing into the crowd.

As soon as he was out of sight, Starfire let her contained excitement loose and began bouncing up and down, gripping both of Raven's hands.

"Oh, Raven, did I not tell you!?" she sang, beaming into her friend's violet eyes, which promptly rolled.

"Yeah, yeah," Raven dismissed with a faint blush before grabbing Starfire's wrist and pulling her forward.

"Raven," she inquired curiously as they skirted past Aqualad and Jinx, "I am confused. Are we not doing the dancing?"

"I'm not much for dancing," Raven answered simply, and Starfire's eyebrows furrowed at the dark hair in front of her.

"Then why did you-"

"Woops!" Raven blurted, and Starfire was thrown forward out of the crowd, staggering as Raven released her hand.

"Woah!" Arms swept underneath her, and she did not need to look up to know who those green gloves belonged to.

She looked up all the same though, and found Robin smiling down at her.

"You okay?" he chuckled, pulling her up to stand straight.

She nodded, still trying to comprehend exactly what had just happened, but knowing that whatever it was was Raven's fault.

"Got a little carried away with the spins there, huh, Raven?" he asked over her shoulder, and she turned to see Raven approaching.

"Yea, I guess I'm getting kinda tired," Raven shrugged. "Why don't you take over from here?" she proposed with a smirk. "You've just been sitting over here by yourself the whole time." She tossed them a short wave over her shoulder before she disappeared back into the crowd, and Starfire suspected she was on her way to find Beast Boy.

"Subtle," Robin mumbled, gazing after the girl over Starfire's shoulder, and she giggled even though she did not quite know what he meant.

She expected him to continue, perhaps even to follow through with Raven's suggestion, but he merely stood there staring at her, his hands still wrapped around her arms where he had caught her.

"Well…" she started, the silence growing awkward, "should we… Do you..." She nodded faintly toward the floor of dancing, trying to infer her meaning because she did not seem to be able to formulate the question completely.

"I, uh," he muttered, releasing her arms hurriedly, "well, I'm not- I mean, I don't really- I'm not sure if-"

"It is alright," she assured, trying to keep the sinking feeling in her chest off her face as she stepped backward to create more distance between them. "Perhaps we can-"

"Hey!"

She turned to see Speedy jogging toward her, an infectious smile on his face.

"I haven't had a turn yet!" he finished, wrapping his fingers around her wrist and tugging her toward the floor of dancing.

As she allowed herself to be pulled away, she twisted her head back to look at Robin, feeling the mournful longing emanating from her face.

His expression was rather indiscernible, however, appearing to be some combination of tortured, angry, and sorrowful. He quickly disappeared behind the dancing bodies and she turned her attention to Speedy, who had now stopped in front of her.

"My lady," he crooned, bending slightly as he offered her a hand.

She could not help but giggle, inclining her head in polite acceptance as she placed a hand in his. He quickly spun her around just as Beast Boy had, and caught her other hand as she concluded the twist.

"So, how's your birthday so far?" he asked as he twisted her down an arm and into his chest before unfurling her back out.

"Glorious!" she replied, beaming at him as he spun her. "It is most wonderful to have an occasion to get everyone together."

"Yea," Speedy agreed simply as they glided past Jinx and Beast Boy, the latter of which was glaring in the direction of where Raven and Aqualad were dancing.

They moved closer to the edge of the floor of dancing, and Starfire caught a glimpse of Robin through the twisting bodies. He was sitting at the kitchen counter, scowling in her direction as he rocked back-and-forth on the back legs of his chair. When he noticed her looking, however, he stopped his rocking and lifted his head to peer at her curiously over Cyborg's shoulder before he disappeared from her vision again.

"Hey, Starfire?" Speedy began, and she pulled her mind away from Robin to look at him. "There's something I kinda wanted to talk to you about."

She tilted her head at him curiously.

"Not here though; it's too loud," he added, and he grabbed her hand to pull her through the crowd.

They reached the opposite side of the floor of dancing and headed toward the stairwell door. As Speedy held it open for her, she turned to toss him a smile and her eyes caught Robin's back going through the door toward the bedrooms. She craned her neck, slowing her walk to get a glimpse of where he was going, but the door closed behind her and her view was cut off.

Speedy led the way up to roof, opening that door for her as well, and she stepped out into the cool, evening air. The sun had set some time ago, but the light had not yet completely gone from the sky, allowing only the brightest stars to shine through.

"Wow, you guys have a nice view," Speedy appraised, folding his arms as he came to stand beside her.

"Yes, it is quite lovely," she agreed, turning to face him. "So what is it you wished to discuss with me?"

"Well, I- uh-" he mumbled, tugging at his collar nervously, "I was just wondering, 'cause we don't really hang out much -ya know, with us being Titans _East_ and all that- if you might wanna, I dunno…do something sometime," he finished with a shy smile.

"Oh," she replied faintly, dropping her eyes to the ground with uncertainty.

"Just, ya know, as friends," he added hurriedly, and she beamed across at him.

"Certainly," she agreed with a small nod.

"Great!" Speedy blurted with relief, a grin breaking across his face. "How about tomorrow before we head back?"

"Tomorrow?" she repeated, surprised by his haste.

"Unless you don't want to," he quickly allowed. "We can do it some other time. Next time we're in town, maybe?"

She chuckled lightly, shaking her head. "No, tomorrow is perfectly acceptable," she reassured with a smile. "What time do you wish to meet?"

"Um, I'll be here at…11?" he checked.

"11 is fine," she affirmed with a nod.

"Alright," Speedy concluded, smiling broadly at her. "Well then, guess I should get you back to your party," he suggested, gesturing for her to go ahead of him toward the door.

She giggled and followed his direction, the two of them returning to the living room, where she was quickly swept onto the floor of dancing by Cyborg.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

**_Robin_**

The party had wrapped up some time ago, and the last remnants of spilled chips and streamers had been stuffed into black, plastic, garbage bags and carried down to the garage. Cyborg was going to deliver it to a dumpster in the city tomorrow, considering it was far too late now. Cyborg and Beast Boy had put up quite a fight about cleaning up at 2 am, but Robin had been persistent. He was too angry to sleep, so that energy might as well be channeled into something productive, and he certainly wasn't going to clean up by himself.

"Night!" Cyborg called as he went through the sliding door, and Robin grunted and waved in acknowledgement as he continued picking up empty cans and tossing them in the recycling bin.

It was hard to believe so few people could drink so much soda, but he had been scavenging cans for quite some time now. He'd gradually gotten farther and farther away from the recycle bin, lobbing cans across the room to land with a clink in the blue container. He was hardly even looking up anymore as he chucked them, which is why it took him a moment to realize when one can didn't make the appropriate landing sound.

Unable to believe that he could have missed, he twisted around to find Starfire standing on the opposite side of the couch, the green can clutched in her hand.

"My apologies," she acknowledged, placing the can in the bin with a small smile. "It alarmed me."

"No problem," he muttered, shrugging as he bent down to pick a cushion up off the floor.

"Robin?" she started softly, and he froze mid-way through replacing the pillow on the couch. "Is there something upsetting you?"

"No," he mumbled, turning away from her to pick up more cans.

"You did not do the dancing," she pressed, and he heard her voice growing closer, "and you were absent for the latter part of the party."

"I was busy," he answered curtly, gathering cans in his arms so he could prolong turning around to face her.

"With what?" she gently pried, her small voice very close behind him.

He sighed and turned around, unable to avoid it any longer. "Just stuff," he grumbled, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his free hand.

Her face fell with hurt, and he regretted his curtness immediately.

"Sorry," he muttered, still uncomfortable with apologies even after his innumerable mistakes, "I'm just tired."

She smiled softly at him. "Yes, it is rather late," she admitted with a yawn. "I suppose we should be doing the heading to bed."

"Why, you gotta get up early?" he said before he could stop himself, and her eyes narrowed as she tilted her head. He tried to arrange his face into nonchalant innocence under her scrupulous gaze.

"Not particularly early," she replied warily, "but I do have the plans tomorrow."

She was going to tell him. Great. That made this so much easier.

"Oh?" he inquired airily. "You and Raven getting your fingernails done?"

She didn't giggle like she normally would have, and he knew she was still suspicious.

"No, I am going on an outing with Speedy," she said simply, her tone slightly challenging.

Even though he already knew that, it still made his chest tighten uncomfortably hearing her say it. As soon as he'd seen them leave the party, he had gone to his room, where he had cursed and shouted objections at his laptop as it displayed the roof camera feed.

"Oh," he answered curtly, his voice shaking faintly as he fought to keep the anger out of it. "You guys dating now or something?" he added, apparently physically incapable of controlling himself.

"No," she snapped back, somewhat exasperatedly. "He said we were going out as the friends."

"Oh, I'm sure he did," Robin scoffed, completely deaf to the voice in his head that was screaming at him not to start this.

"What do you mean by that?" she demanded, folding her arms and glowering at him.

"Of course he said that, Star," he raged, glaring back at her for no logical reason. "Guys always say that. It's just a way to get you to go out with them so they can…" he faded off, his brain catching up with his mouth enough to make him uncomfortable saying anything else.

"So they can…what, Robin?" she challenged, her voice rising.

"You know," he dismissed, walking around her and across the room to dump the cans into the recycle bin.

"I do not believe I do," she snarled, following him. "Please, Robin, inform me."

He rounded on her, both angry and surprised. It was times like this that he felt Starfire understood a lot more than she let on sometimes.

"So they can do…not-just-friends things," he fumed, still too uncomfortable to look her in the eye.

"Well, I do not believe Speedy intends-" she began to argue, placing her hands on her hips, but he cut her off.

"Oh, come on, Star!" he raged, rolling his eyes patronizingly. "Don't be so naïve! Guys like Speedy, they only want one thing!"

"And what do you want, Robin?" she shouted, stepping forward to close the distance between them abruptly, her accusing green eyes inches from his.

He sputtered furiously for a moment before he was able to form words. "I-I- UGH!" he growled in frustration, walking past her toward the door. "I'm going to bed. Have fun on your date!" he spat over his shoulder, his hands curling into fists.

"I intend to!" she shrieked back at him, her voice just sneaking into the hallway behind him before the door closed between them.

He grumbled to himself as he entered his bedroom, graduating to a shout when he kicked the bed frame in frustration.

God, she was the most…impossible, insufferable, unbelievable-

He groaned and collapsed onto the bed, glaring up pointlessly at the ceiling. Slowly but surely, the anger ebbed away and guilt settled in its place. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. He shouldn't have shouted at her. He was completely right about everything, of course, but he shouldn't have shouted.

Rising up off the bed, he tugged off his boots and began undoing his uniform, deciding to apologize for that small portion tomorrow before she left. Before she left with Speedy. On a date.

He sighed heavily as he pulled a t-shirt over his head. He had sort of come to terms with the fact that this was eventually going to happen, but it was supposed to be a far-away eventually. Not a right-now-with-Speedy eventually. Speedy, of all people! Cyborg often referred to him as Robin's twin, a comparison that somehow made this whole thing that much more horrible. Still, he could take some comfort in the fact that Starfire genuinely didn't see it as a date. She didn't want to date Speedy. She didn't like him that way. Nothing was going to happen…right?

He moaned as he slid into bed, leaving the blankets folded down at his waist as he crossed his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling. Tomorrow was going to be hell. Hopefully some criminal would attack to give him something to work out his aggression on, just something to keep him from sitting around the Tower torturing himself with unbidden images of what might be happening.

He raised his eyebrows at the ceiling as a thought occurred to him; a thought that the little voice in his head immediately scolded him for. It would be wrong. It would be very, very wrong. But he was just looking out for her, right? Just making sure Speedy didn't try anything. Really, it would be irresponsible _not_ to.

Smiling as he convinced himself, he pulled the blankets up to his shoulders and rolled over, setting his alarm before settling down to sleep.


	7. Chapter 7

_**Author's Note:**__ This is, up to this point, my favorite chapter for Starfire. Also, nobody start shipping SpeedStar after this!_

_**Songs:**__ "Sitting, Waiting, Wishing" - Jack Johnson, and "Little, Little, Little" - An Horse (relevant from when it shifts from the restaurant to Robin's perspective)_

* * *

**Chapter 7**

Starfire was still fuming as she brushed her teeth that morning, grumbling through the foam of the paste for teeth.

How dare Robin insinuate that she was doing the dating with Speedy!? How dare he shout at her and do the storming out and-

She snarled as she spit into the sink, bracing her hands against the cold sides as she glared down at the swirling water.

Robin was truly impossible to comprehend. He did not wish to dance with her at the party, and yet he grew upset when someone else did. He did not wish to take her out for the enjoyable recreation, but he shouted at her when she allowed someone else to.

She sighed heavily, replacing her toothbrush in her bathroom bag as a small knock came to the door.

"Starfire?"

She smiled, placing her hand on the interior panel of the door to let Raven inside.

"I have finished," she greeted the girl, "you may use the bathroom now if you wish."

"Actually," Raven muttered, entering and placing her own hand on the panel to lock the door once again, "I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh?" she inquired, tilting her head curiously as her eyebrows furrowed. "What do you wish to speak with me about?"

"That screaming match you had with Robin last night," Raven answered, as if it should have been obvious.

"Ah…" Starfire lowered her eyes, twisting away to face the wall.

"What was that all about?" Raven pressed, leaning to the side in an attempt to look her in the eyes. "I could feel it, but I could hardly hear anything. Something about Speedy and a date?" she speculated.

Starfire sighed and raised her head to look at Raven. "Speedy asked me to do the hanging out with him today," she explained, turning around to lean against the bathroom counter, "and Robin believes that it is a date, even though it is very clearly not."

"Is that what he was shouting about?" Raven clarified, appearing surprised.

She nodded.

"Well, that's stupid," Raven scoffed, folding her arms across her chest and scowling. "He could've asked you out a thousand times. He has no right to be jealous."

"I do not know, Raven," she whispered weakly, placing a hand over her eyes as she hung her head. "I…I am growing very weary of this…this…"

"Game?" Raven suggested, and Starfire shook her head.

"I do not believe Robin is playing one of the games."

"No, it's not like a _game_ game, Starfire," Raven explained, leaning against the counter beside her. "In this context it means…you're tired of the back-and-forth. Of Robin not making a move, but not letting you move on either. It's a game because he's playing with your emotions."

She stared down at the floor thoughtfully, examining the faint, smoky patterns in the tile. "Then…I suppose, yes. I am tired of the games," she conceded softly.

Raven placed a hand on her shoulder, and she looked up to see an encouraging smile on her friend's face.

"It'll be okay, Star," she assured, and Starfire could not help but smile back. "When do you leave?" Raven continued, changing the subject slightly.

"Speedy is arriving at 11"-she picked her bathroom bag up off the counter-"so I should conclude my preparation."

Raven nodded and turned, opening the door so they could file out into the hall.

"What is it with girls going to the bathroom together?!" Beast Boy cried, rounding the corner as they exited.

"It makes it so much easier to talk about you," Raven replied, shrugging as they walked past the glaring, green boy.

Starfire giggled, already feeling better after her talk with Raven. It was remarkable how much it could lift ones mood just to have someone else reaffirm your correctness. She entered her room and busied herself with the last few things she needed to do before Speedy arrived. She changed out of her pajamas and into a fresh uniform, and was just zipping up her boots when a knock came to the door.

"Uh, Starfire?" Robin mumbled, and she gasped at the door. "Can I talk to you for a second?"

She hesitated, biting her lip as she looked between the door and the ground at her feet.

"Please?" he added, and she weakened.

She walked to the door wearing only a single boot, and opened it quickly before immediately turning back and returning to her closet.

"Um…morning," Robin said behind her.

"Greetings," she muttered without turning around, stepping into her other boot on the floor.

"Soooo," he stretched uncomfortably, "I- I wanted to talk to you about…about last night."

She fiddled with her boot unnecessarily, waiting for him to him continue.

"I- I just wanted to say…I'm sorry." The last words were whispered, and she felt her anger slipping away. "I shouldn't have yelled. That was… I'm sorry," he repeated, and she smiled an unseen smile as she rose to standing.

"I appreciate your apology," she replied simply, still talking into her closet rather than facing him.

"So…we're good?" he pressed, and she felt a coldness grip her heart.

"Robin," she began, turning to look at him as she crossed her arms, "what precisely are you apologizing for?"

"What?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing.

"Are you sorry for what you said, or merely sorry for the yelling of it?" she clarified, her eyes narrowing knowingly.

His throat swelled with a heavy swallow, and his mouth quivered in several failed beginnings before he replied. "I- Well, I- I mean-"

"Hmph!" she huffed, glaring at him as she walked past, snatching her yellow purse -the one she had received from Raven the night before- off the bed before exiting the room.

"Hey!" he objected, blocking her with outstretched arms in the hallway. "I'm trying to apologize here!"

"It does not sound very akin to an apology to me," she countered, her hands settling on her hips stubbornly.

"I said I was sorry," he argued, his tone angry and pleading all at once. "What more do you want from me?"

She felt the sadness wash over her as she appraised him, wiping the anger from her face and wilting her arms off her hips to dangle at her sides.

"Robin," she said weakly, forcing herself to continue looking into his eyes, "it is fruitless to ask questions you already know the answer to."

His face fell, and he did not move to stop her as she quickly dodged past him to continue her advance into the living room.

"Right on time!" someone called as she traversed the few stairs beyond the door, and she looked up to find Speedy already waiting for her. "Ready to go?" he asked as she approached.

She heard a sliding sound behind her, and turned to see Robin entering the room. He stopped just inside the doorway, his expression fluttering between stoic and pained.

"I am," she answered flatly, smiling as best she could as she turned back to Speedy. Feeling Robin's eyes on her, she willed herself not to look back as they left through the stairwell door.

…

"That is incredibly improbable!" she bleated, watching as Speedy got the ball into the 100-point slot every time.

They were playing something called 'Skee-Ball' at an arcade on the pier, which is where Speedy had taken her on their outing. So far Speedy had reels upon reels of the pink bits of paper, but her ball merely bounced off the sides of the hole and rolled down into the 10-point section, making her strip much shorter than his.

"It's not that hard," he chuckled, ripping off yet another long strand, "you're just doing it wrong."

"I am not!" she disagreed, rolling another ball up the lane to ping uselessly off the plastic. "I believe it is my machine that is defective."

He laughed, moving to stand beside her and plucked one of the balls from the delivery tunnel. "You're aiming for the hole, so you throw it too hard," he explained, swinging his arm forward to shoot the ball up the ramp.

Much to her chagrin, it went into the 100-point slot, and the machine blinked and beeped wildly in response.

"Why should I not aim for the hole? Is that not the point?" she questioned, confused. Perhaps she had been playing it wrong all along.

"The point is to get it _in_ the hole," he mocked jokingly, and she half-heartedly glared at him. "Here"-he placed a ball in her hand and shifted her in front of the lane-"if you aim for the bottom rim, you're much more likely to get it in because you won't overthrow it."

She looked up at him skeptically, but he merely waved for her to continue. She sighed doubtfully, narrowing her eyes and the bottom of the plastic covering. With a flick of her wrist, the ball shot down the runway and arched directly into the 100-point slot.

She squealed with delight, jumping up and down as she clapped her hands frantically. "It went in, it went in! Did you observe that?!" she cried, pointing at the machine, which was now spitting out quite a quantity of the paper strips.

Speedy laughed and nodded. "Yea, way to go," he praised, and she beamed at him.

"What other games may we attempt?" she asked excitedly, eager to succeed at something else.

"Um, well," he started, bending down to fetch her pink strand as he surveyed the room, "you might like that one over there."

She turned to follow his finger, and saw a large machine with a platform just off the ground. There were several circles of light flashing across the surface of the platform, and she tilted her head at it curiously.

"You stand on that bottom part and there's buttons that light up and you gotta step on them," he explained.

Her heart faltered for a moment, a flutter of pain crackling through her chest. It reminded her forcefully of the game she had played in Tokyo with Robin, and she usually tried to put that entire trip out of her mind. Although, she had been remarkably good at that game, and Speedy did have many more prizes that she…

"Let us go!" she exclaimed, and he let out a small yelp of surprise as she grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him over to the machine.

He laughed, shaking his head as he slipped one of the bronze arcade coins into the glowing, red slot. "Okay, now you gotta pick your difficulty level," he explained, pointing to the series of lights that had illuminated on a panel in front of her. "Probably best to start with easy. Just until you get the hang of it," he added quickly as she raised her eyebrows at him.

She giggled and nodded, and he hit the appropriate button.

"Now, whenever one of those buttons lights up"-he pointed to the platform under her feet-"you step on it to turn it off. The more buttons you turn off, the more points you get," he explained, and she nodded to show she understood. "Ready?" he asked, and she smiled at him with another small nod. "Alright," he said, the skepticism obvious in his voice, and hit a final button.

There were a series of beeps, a panel in the machine in front of her counting down from 5 in time with the tones, and then lights began to appear on the floor beneath her. She stomped the first several out quite handily, but it became gradually more difficult as there was less time between lights.

"There are two of them!" she blurted as she scrambled to step on both before they extinguished.

"Yea, it does that near the end," he shrugged from where he was leaning against the side of the machine watching her.

The game ended shortly thereafter, announcing her score on the screens in front of her. She had hit all but 3 buttons, and she frowned at the shortcoming.

"Nice job," he appraised as the pink slips began appearing.

"But I missed 3," she countered, pointing to the offending number.

"Well it was only your first try," he excused with a chuckle as he slipped another coin into the machine. "You can go for perfect this time. Ready?" he asked again, finger hovering over the button.

She nodded, smiling at his encouragement, and he hit the button

"Aaaaand…GO!" he announced as the timer ran down to 0, swinging his hand dramatically through the air to signal the game commencing.

She laughed and began crushing the buttons, her eyes scanning with furtive determination.

It was not long before she had mastered the easy and intermediate levels, forgoing attempting the hard one in favor of getting some of the snacks. It was apparently essential that she try the rings of onions, which were quite enjoyable, especially with the honey mustard dipping sauce Speedy had requested for her. They then returned to their games, trying almost every one the establishment had to offer. Speedy had been most helpful in attempting to teach her how to operate one of the racing games, but she still ended up off the road quite often and never beat him.

After what turned out to be several hours, although it did not feel nearly so long, they headed to the back of the arcade with their arms full of what Speedy informed her were called 'tickets'. A long counter stretched before them, both the glass cases and the wall behind full of merchandise for which the tickets could be traded for. There was a wide assortment of odd objects, most of which she had never seen before, and they got progressively larger and more costly as she went down the line. The largest objects were hanging on the wall behind, and were mostly plush animals she recognized from the cartoons Beast Boy occasionally watched.

"Here," Speedy beckoned, taking her tickets out of her hands and placing them on the counter beside his own pile, "I'll do this, you figure out what you want."

"But, how will I know what I can afford?" she asked, her eyes flicking between the cases and the pile of pink paper.

"Starfire, with that amount of tickets, you could probably get two of those," he smiled, pointing at the biggest plush toy on the wall.

"Well, alright, I shall look," she laughed, turning away from him to scan down the counter.

There was a lot of candy, all available for very few tickets, but that did not seem like something she should purchase considering she could obtain that at any neighborhood store. There was a container of circular, rubber balls, some of which looked intriguing, and a box of something called "laser pointers" that, according to the picture on the packaging, looked like they would be quite amusing. Further down the line she saw a basket of thick, rubber bracelets that, according to the sign beside them, lit up with the motion of the wearer, and those quickly climbed to the top of her list. Scanning the wall, she found most of the stuffed creatures quite unappealing, except a relatively small, blue cat with wide, cartoon eyes and long, sparkling whiskers stretching out from its pink, plastic nose.

"Okay, so I was wrong," Speedy said as he approached, "you could actually buy three of those. So, yea, pretty much anything you want is up for grabs."

"Oh," she answered, smiling across at him shyly, "well…perhaps you should make your selections first."

He smiled and shook his head. "I go to these places all the time back home; I don't need anything," he insisted.

"But-But-" she stammered, scanning the cases uncomfortably. She did not wish to tell him what she wanted without knowing what percentage of their winnings she would be using.

"Ya know, if you don't tell me," he warned, sidling away from her, "I'm gonna just start picking the ugliest things I can find."

"Oh?" she challenged, folding her arms and returning his smug smirk.

"Mhmm," he confirmed, turning to scan the wall. "Like…that dragon-looking thing," he chose, pointing at the large, green toy.

"Oh, no, that is truly horrible," she rebuffed, shaking her head.

"Well then I'd start talking or you're getting it. And the red one too," he added, gesturing to the matching creature beside it.

Grimacing as she gazed into the shiny, plastic eyes of the abominable creature, she saw something catch the light on the ceiling above the dragon. Nonchalantly scanning the wall so as not to appear to be looking directly at it, she saw there was a small, black, cylindrical device poking through one of the ceiling tiles, and she fought the urge to shoot a starbolt as she realized what it was. It would be rude to start blasting holes in the ceiling, and it was nothing she could not deal with later.

"Fine," she conceded, turning back to Speedy, now acutely conscious of every word and motion, "I will tell you. But only because those creatures would give me the nightmares," she admitted with another glance in their direction, and Speedy laughed as she began pointing out her items of choice.

After getting a plastic bag for their purchases, considering they were simply too numerous to carry or wear all at once, they headed out of the arcade and back down the pier. They took a walk through the park and talked, signing several autographs along the way. Watching as Speedy signed one young boy's piece of paper after her, she noticed that he drew a large arrow underneath his name.

"Why do you place an arrow beneath your name?" she inquired as the boy scampered away, waving at them happily in thanks.

"I dunno," he shrugged. "Just to make it more interesting, I guess. Plus," he added, tapping the quiver on his back, "I do use arrows."

She smiled lightly before her forehead wrinkled in thought. "Perhaps I should add something to my signature," she mused, gazing off in the direction the boy had gone.

"Well, that's easy enough," Speedy chuckled. "Just add a star at the end."

She gasped, her eyes widening as she turned to look at him. "Of course! What a brilliant idea!" she praised, beaming at him.

"Well, not really," he mumbled, scratching the back of his neck. "I mean, it's built right into your name."

She shrugged, and they continued walking along in silence.

"So," Speedy interjected after awhile, "there's still another hour before we're heading back to Steel City; you wanna grab some pizza before we call it a day?"

"Certainly," she agreed, and they exchanged smiles as they headed toward the usual place.

It was strange for her, walking places. She never noticed how much time she saved by flying until she was not. If she had been with Robin, she would have simply lifted him by the hand and flown them there, but she was somewhat uncomfortable with that prospect with Speedy. Perhaps Robin's words had permeated her mind more than she had previously thought.

Regardless, they arrived at the pizza place relatively quickly and were seated promptly in the Titans' usual, corner table. For the second time in a single week, she found herself intimidated by the list of options in front of her, and she ached with Robin's absence. Luckily, Speedy suggested they share a pepperoni pizza, to which she eagerly agreed because it sounded familiar. They continued talking as they waited for their food, laughing and sipping on their sodas.

As she was listening to Speedy regaling a particularly humorous tale about Más y Menos rearranging Aqualad's room as a practical joke, her eyes caught movement over his shoulder. She shifted her gaze slightly, careful to appear to still be focused on him, and saw something dark shift across the top of a building across the street.

At that moment, Speedy finished speaking and began to laugh, and she hastily joined him as she assumed he had reached the hilarious conclusion of his story.

"Will you excuse me for a moment?" she implored, smiling softly at him and rising from the table.

He nodded, and she slipped past him toward the bathroom, her faux smile falling to a hard glare as she pushed open the door.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

**_Robin_**

He leaned off the side of the steel scaffolding beneath the water tower on the roof, craning to watch as Starfire left the table. Seeing that she was just going to the bathroom, he lowered his binoculars and sat on one of the steel bars to wait for her return, swinging his legs impatiently.

Today had been self-inflicted torture, and he was eager for this little flirt-fest to be over. Really, how could she not see it? It was _so _obvious! Helping her with arcade games, walking through the park signing autographs for small children, the guy was obviously just showing off. Pathetic. Mind you, Robin had been hiding behind bushes and scuttling across rooftops all day, so maybe he wasn't one to talk.

Grumbling to himself, he raised his binoculars to check if she had returned yet. Just then, something collided with the water tower from behind him, and the bar he was sitting on began to give way. He yelped and reached up, grabbing the bar above him and propelling himself around to perch on top of it. Just what he needed: a criminal attacking right where he was spying on Starfire. Maybe he could pull the fight away before his cover was blown. Unless, of course…

"Starfire!?" he cried, his mouth going dry as he stared in shock at the girl hovering in front of him, glaring green. "What are you doing?" he accused, trying to displace guilt. "You almost hit me!"

"If I had intended to hit you, Robin," she snarled, the green glow diminishing from her eyes, which somehow made the fury more evident, "I would have."

He gulped, grateful she couldn't see his wide, frantic eyes. He was screwed. He was completely screwed. But he was never going to confess to that, so he opened his mouth to retaliate.

"Why are you doing the spying on me?" she snapped before he could.

"Spying on you?" he blurted, pretending to be offended. "I wasn't spying on you! I was patrolling!" He had come up with this excuse before he had even left the Tower, just in case she saw him somewhere along the way. He hadn't really expected it to happen though.

"You are doing the patrolling of the place of pizza?" she challenged, her eyes narrowing dangerously.

"No," he clarified patronizingly, "I was just…passing through."

"Oh, truly?" She drew closer to him, her hair whipping behind her in the wind. "Were you also doing the passing through at the arcade and the park?"

His mouth fell open. She'd known he was there the whole time?! But he was so careful! He could weave through infrared laser grids, but he couldn't tail Starfire? Perhaps he had trained them all a little too well. Figuring he was irrevocably screwed anyway, he thought he might as well ask.

"Okay, there's no way you saw me in the arcade, I wasn't even-"

"Robin!" she interjected, and he froze. She never shouted at him. Not like that, anyway. "Why are you doing the spying on me!?" she asked again, and her tone made it clear that she was only interested in answers.

"I-I wasn't spying on _you_, exactly," he gruffly explained. "I was just making sure Speedy didn't…_try_ anything."

"Try anything?" she asked, and he could tell she genuinely didn't understand.

"Ya know, like…date-type-stuff," he muttered. "The point is," he railed, trying to regain control of the situation, "I was just…looking out for you. That's all."

"Your assistance was not necessary or welcome," she snarled, crossing her arms stiffly across her chest. She looked so angry, angrier than she had ever been at him, and he honestly didn't understand it. Usually, he would be out of trouble by now. She never stayed mad at him for that long.

"Regardless," she continued haughtily, "what makes you so certain that I would not have desired to do the dating things with Speedy?"

He sputtered furiously, fists clenching as heat rose in his cheeks. "You-You can't!" he bleated, his tone slightly higher than he would have liked it.

"Why not?" she argued, her hands returning to her hips as she leaned in toward him. "Why is that so troubling to you, Robin?"

Her eyes bored into his unseen ones, and cold clenched around his heart.

"Be-Because-" he stammered, unable to focus properly between the awkwardness of the conversation and how close she was. "Because it would hurt the team," he concluded, his brain immediately kicking into overdrive to come up with rationalizations before she asked.

"Speedy is on a different team," she quipped, the corner of her mouth curling slightly.

Why was she smiling? It was making him nervous. No, not nervous. It was absolutely terrifying him. So, naturally, he laughed.

"You can't possibly be serious!?" he snorted. "You and Speedy? That's just… That's ridiculous!"

"I disagree," she said flatly, and he choked on a chuckle.

"B-But, you… You can't! You-You have to…" he trailed off, not really knowing where he was going with this.

Her face changed suddenly, flickering to what almost looked like surprise before settling back to angry.

"You just can't!" he raged, pointing at her threateningly, and her eyes flashed green.

"You are not in a position to tell me what I may or may not do," she snarled, closing the distance between them to mere inches.

"I'm the leader of this team," he shouted back in her face, "and if I say you can't, then-"

"Robin, this is not about the team!" she interrupted, some of the anger in her eyes fading to pleading. "Do not attempt to tell me that is the reason for your discomfort!"

Something fluttered frantically in his chest, but he ignored it in favor of more shouting.

"Well, it is! If you and Speedy started dating, you'd be distracted and screw up and people would get hurt!" he bellowed, sickening himself as he repeated Batman's words.

"WHAT!?" she shrieked, her hands twisting into glowing fists. "How- How _dare_ you insinuate that I would- That there is even the slightest possibility- You know that I would never place any of you in danger!"

"Well, I don't know!" he mocked. "You're not exactly acting like much of a Titan anymore, might as well take it all the way!"

"What are you speaking of?" she probed, her tone scandalized.

"THIS!" he screamed, pointing down at the restaurant where Speedy was no doubt getting suspicious. "Your little _boyfriend_! We're heroes, Starfire! We don't-"

"We do not have time, correct, Robin?" she interrupted, recoiling from him slightly as her face contorted with hurt.

His chest tightened as he surveyed her. He knew what she meant. He understood everything now. This was never about dating Speedy at all. But that didn't change anything.

"No," he deadpanned, turning slightly to stare out over the city.

"Those are your convictions, Robin," she said after a moment, and he looked back to see her eyes sparkling. "They are not mine," she choked weakly, and shot past him back down toward the restaurant.

"Starfire!?" he called, extending a hand after her pointlessly, not wanting the conversation to end quite like this.

"Go home, Robin," she commanded icily over her shoulder before swooping down and sliding back in the window she must have left from.

He stared at the spot she'd disappeared for a few moments, and then sighed heavily and dropped to sitting on the bar. Burying his head in his hands, he breathed through his fingers, his eyes closed in the hot darkness. He berated himself mercilessly in his head, lifting his hand from his eyes to run it through his hair. He had really done it this time. Cyborg –who had guessed his reason for leaving the tower and told him, in no uncertain terms, that it was a horrible idea- was going to have a field day with this.

A couple minutes later, he stood up, casting a small, backward glance at the restaurant before diving off the back of the building to head toward the Tower.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Author's Note: **__My apologies to those of you that are looking for a quick happy ending, because I have a few more twists and turns yet to go through. I'm afraid there will be more questions than answers for awhile. Be patient, have faith, and keep up the reviews!_

_**Songs:**__ "Love Love Love" - Of Monsters and Men_

* * *

**Chapter 8**

Starfire lay awake staring at the ceiling, the same position she had been in for hours now. She had gone to bed early, watching the shadows fade to blackness as the minutes ticked by. It was now around midnight, and she heard the other Titans finally heading down the hall to their respective rooms.

When she had arrived home at about 6pm, everyone had been in the living room. After a tense exchange of glances between her and Robin, she had been swept out of the room by Raven, who had insisted upon hearing the reason for the tension she had been sensing from Robin since he had arrived home. Raven had completely supported her in being angry, and agreed that Robin was far outside the lines, but Starfire had not shared with even Raven the depths of her concern.

Yes, she was angry with Robin, but it was more than that. She was truly exhausted with him. She no longer knew what to do. She had waited and hoped for years, but Robin was no closer to returning her feelings than he had been the day they had first met. Or, if he did have the feelings –as Raven frequently assured her-, it appeared nothing was ever going to become of them. Surely she could not be expected to remain here under such conditions. It was so painful, living here and being on this team when she felt the way she did, and she no longer believed the situation would ever improve. But what other options were available?

A thought immediately occurred to her, and she considered it with trepidation. It was an option. It was not the outcome she preferred, but the other ideas that came into her mind were much less desirable than even that one. If she could no longer reside with the Titans, it was the only other thing she would be at least content with. Not that she was intending to act on it immediately, but if things did not improve… Regardless, it could not hurt to look into the prospect.

Rising out of bed, she floated over to her desk and settled into the chair as she opened the purple laptop in front of her. Robin had insisted on purchasing one for everyone; something about independent research and remaining in constant communication. She typed in her password -Silkie- and, after waiting a few moments for all the various pictures to appear, she clicked twice on the video calling program. The white and green box opened on the screen, and she clicked on the name of the person she wished to contact.

The computer rang a few times before another box opened, displaying the smiling face of her k'norfka.

"Koriand'r!" Galfore bellowed joyfully, and she could not help but smile back. "It is glorious to hear from you, but the hour is quite late," he leaned closer to the screen, his face growing concerned and stern. "Does something trouble you, my bumgorf?"

"Vaguely," she admitted, knowing lying was a futile effort with Galfore, and she needed to discuss it with him anyway. "I am wondering if you could possibly do the looking into something for me," she began.

Galfore leaned back in his chair, his eyes sparkling inquisitively. "Go on."

/\/\/\/\/\/\

**_Robin_**

He stared out over the bay, periodically sighing regretfully when he couldn't keep his thoughts from drifting back to the day before. He'd hardly slept at all last night, tossing and turning as he replayed the argument over and over. He really had been an idiot. And a jerk. And he had no idea how to fix it.

He groaned, laying back flat across the roof, his feet dangling off the edge. It was early, and the cement was still cool and dewy beneath him. Staring up at the sky, which was already filled with the white, fluffy clouds that promised a beautiful day, he blinked blearing through the early morning sun and tried to formulate a plan. This was a different problem than he was used to dealing with, sure, but he didn't see why he couldn't tackle it the same way he would anything else. He didn't really know any other way to do it. He collected data, formulated a plan, accounted for variables, and executed. That was just how he handled things. Regardless of whether it was an emotional problem or not. He wasn't exactly used to having those, after all.

"Oh," said a small, startled voice.

Robin tilted his head up, scraping his scalp against the concrete to look at the inverted speaker behind him.

"I-I apologize," upside-down Starfire muttered, retreating back toward the door. "I did not realize-"

"No," he said hurriedly, twisting around on the ground and scrambling to his feet clumsily, "it's fine. I actually wanted to talk to you anyway."

She hesitated, folding her hands in front of her, her body visibly tensing as he approached across the rooftop.

"Look, Star, I-" he began softly, but she cut him off.

"Robin?" She looked at him, eyes distant and sad.

He watched as her gaze fell to the ground and a shaking sigh escaped her, as if she were steeling herself not to cry.

"I… I do not wish to speak with you," she continued faintly, still looking at the concrete.

"Oh," he murmured, confused and concerned. "Well, we can talk about something else if you-"

"No, Robin," she interrupted, and her eyes, full of barely-restrained tears, lifted to meet his. "I mean I do not wish to speak with you at all."

"Starfire," he breathed, moving in toward her.

She twisted away from him, folding her arms around her as she went.

"Please, Robin," she whimpered, a tear sliding down the cheek he could see. "Please do not."

"Star," he pleaded, stretching a hand toward her shoulder. He barely grazed her warm, tan skin before she disappeared beneath his fingertips, the metal door gaping behind her.

The door crept closed, squealing until it snapped with a metallic click. His breathing was coming in short, ragged huffs as he stared at the painted, black surface, his mind racing and frantic.

Surely it wasn't that bad. Surely he could fix it. They'd get better. Things would go back to normal. He hadn't completely ruined it. Had he?

His heart beat erratically in his chest as he tried to calm his breathing, the panting gradually slowing to deep, meditative breaths as he clung to that faint thread of hope he wasn't sure he should have.

Doing the only thing he knew how to do, he shut down the part of him that was panicking and started coming up with a strategy. He could fix this. He just needed a plan. It would be fine. She'd forgive him. He just had to make up for what he'd done. He could do that.

Channeling his fear into determination, he ripped open the door and clopped down the stairs, banging into the living room a little harder than he'd intended. Everyone else was awake at this point, and they all turned to look at him with a combination of alarm and curiosity as the door bounced against the built-in stop in the hinge with a tumultuous crash.

His eyes scanned the couch, taking in Beast Boy and Cyborg -who quickly returned to their game-, before shifting his search to the rest of the living room. He found her quickly enough, sitting on one of the barstools next to Raven, her eyes swimming and confused. Raven's eyes, on the other hand, were anything but confused, and she glared at him furiously as he approached.

"Starfire, I-" he broke off as a black wall appeared in front of him, stopping short to peer through the dark film into the wide, green eyes beyond.

"I need to talk to her," he growled at Raven, turning to glare at her.

"She said she didn't want to talk to you," Raven snapped back, her tone dangerous.

He intensified his glare before moving his gaze back to Starfire.

"Starfire, please," he implored softly, and her lip trembled faintly.

She stared at him for a long moment, the struggle evident in her glittering eyes, before her jaw set and her lips pressed into a thin, determined line.

"No," she spat coldly, and the black veil disappeared to allow her to float off the stool and head toward the hallway.

"Starfire!" he called, chasing after her, the silence in the room indicating they now had a full audience. He caught up with her as she reached the door, and he darted in behind her, grateful for the privacy of the hallway, although he was sure everyone else was already rushing over to press their ears against the metal.

"Leave me alone, Robin," she ordered over her shoulder, her voice shaking with emotion.

"No," he snapped back, speeding up to catch her before she reached her room.

She quickened her pace to match, and he had to lunge forward abruptly just shy of her doorway.

"Starfire, stop!" he pleaded earnestly, his hand closing around her elevated wrist.

She froze in the air, keeping her back to him, but allowing his hand to remain on her arm.

"Please," he begged, gazing up at the long, red hair, "let's just talk about this."

"What is there to say, Robin?" she posed breathlessly, the unseen tears evident in her voice.

"Well, I-" he stammered, his grip loosening slightly, "I'm sorry."

"Robin," she whispered sadly, twisting in the air to look at him. A single tear sparkled on her left cheekbone, and many more were threatening to break loose from her eyes, which were desperate and hopeless. "Sorry is no longer enough," she finished sorrowfully, twisting her arm out of his grasp and slipping into her room.

He made no attempt to stop her as the door closed between them, letting his arm fall limply back to his side. He gazed down at his hand, flexing his fingers as he mourned the absence of her skin, but it was more than that. It was as if, in that one moment, it wasn't just Starfire's arm that had slipped through his fingers, it was everything. Their friendship -or whatever it was- had disappeared, wafting through his fingers like the wind. And he wasn't sure if he could ever catch it again.

He wandered back to his room with a brief glance at the door, knowing everyone else was likely just on the other side. His door slid closed behind him and he slouched over to the bed, twisting to collapse onto his back. He moaned, raising a hand to cover his eyes as he gave his mind a moment to catch up to this unfathomable reality.

He knew it had been wrong to spy, but he didn't think she would take it like this. He couldn't shake this nagging suspicion that it was something more than anger. The look in her eyes, it was sad, resigned, broken. And it was too late for him to fix it.

He rose to sitting, his eyebrows furrowing down at the carpet as his hands gripped the edge of the mattress. No, he could do this. He could fix it. He _would_ fix it. He would do everything he possibly could, he would be frikkin perfect, and then she'd have to forgive him. She'd have to.

Suddenly, a red light flashed around his room and the siren blared, and he jumped up and bolted out the door. Entering the hallway, he stopped dead as Starfire ran in front of him, their eyes meeting for the longest second of his life before she darted ahead and entered the living room.

"Everything okay?"

He turned to see Cyborg standing behind him, his eyes shifting between his frozen figure and the closing door Starfire had just disappeared through.

"It wouldn't do any good to try and lie, would it?" he asked flatly, his gaze returning to the door.

"No," his friend answered softly, heavy footsteps approaching him from behind.

"Then no," Robin replied curtly, his voice betraying only the slightest hint of emotion. Before Cyborg could ask him any more questions, he took off down the hallway and burst into the Op Center, looking forward to channeling this emotion into violence.

"What is it?" he barked at Raven and Beast Boy, who were standing in front of the console at the front of the room. He didn't immediately notice Starfire until she shifted slightly, and then he saw her standing off to the side, her arms folded across her chest as she leaned against the wall.

"Kardiak," Beast Boy answered simply, turning to give him a stern gaze.

Kardiak was always something of a sore spot with Beast Boy, considering that was the villain that had been sent to take him out back when they were fighting the Brotherhood of Evil. Beast Boy had defeated him handily, of course, but he still held an understandable grudge.

"Latest reports say he's in the park," Cyborg supplied from where he was now standing in front of a different console.

"Alright, let's go," he commanded, and Raven hit a button on the wall in response.

The window opened with a whirring, mechanized sound, and Beast Boy and Cyborg immediately jumped out in their usual, shape-shifting fashion.

Robin moved forward, joining the girls beside the window, and stood beside Starfire, his usual partner in these situations.

"Um, Raven…" she murmured weakly, casting a sidelong glance at the girl.

His eyebrows rose as he shifted his eyes between the two girls, feeling as if he were being left out of some wordless conversation. This must have actually been the case, because Raven nodded affirmatively and extended a beckoning hand.

"Come on," she offered, and Starfire shifted closer to her. "You too," Raven directed at him.

"What?" he muttered, not moving until things were explained.

"We're just going to teleport," she explained exasperatedly.

"Why?" he blurted, annoyed. "We could just fly."

"No," Raven snapped, a hand closing around his wrist and roughly tugging him closer, "we can't."

He looked down at Raven, confused, before stretching his eyes across her to Starfire. Understanding flooded his brain and he stared into her forlorn eyes, which were quickly wiped away by the cold darkness of Raven's energy.

Next thing he knew, they were standing in the park, screams echoing around them. While he was still staring at Starfire's face once it reappeared, she had turned her attention away, and quickly shifted out from underneath Raven's arm to run toward the epicenter of the chaos.

"She can't fly, can she?" Robin asked as Raven's cloak fluttered off his shoulder.

"No," Raven answered softly, and he turned to find her gazing sadly after the red-haired girl.

"Raven?" he implored, and her eyes lifted to meet his. "What do I do?"

"Robin," she began, her voice stern but sorrowful, "I honestly don't know." With that, she lifted off the ground and followed after her friend.

He took off after them, hearing Beast Boy's pterodactyl scream emanating from somewhere above him. Cyborg was rapidly firing down into the park, and, as Robin reached the top of a slope and looked down, he saw why.

Kardiac was hovering in the main playground area, his tentacles outstretched toward the jungle gym, where a few children were clinging onto the metal bars to avoid being sucked in.

A band of black energy swept down, slicing the tentacle off and momentarily ceasing the suction that was pulling at the children. Their bodies fell to a normal, dangling position, and Starfire rushed toward them. Burning a hole through the bars with a starbolt, she darted inside the metal cage and beckoned the children down. They dropped into her waiting arms and she rushed toward the newly-created doorway just as Kardiak was finishing regenerating.

The reformed tentacle shot out toward her retreating form, and Robin ripped a birdarang from his utility belt as he raced down the hill. Taking careful aim, he flung it forward. It weaved through one of the gaps in the jungle gym and sliced the tentacle just as it neared Starfire's ankle before returning to his hand.

She ran a bit further before setting the children down on the ground and urging them toward their frantic mothers, who had been hovering around the outskirts of the battle. She then turned to nod at him in thanks, and, even though she was a fair distance away, he could still see the sadness emanating from her eyes.

He gave her a short nod in reply before turning back to the battle, flinging an explosive disc toward the mechanical heart that was now swatting at a charging, green rhinoceros. The explosive rocked Kardiak enough to distract his attacks, allowing Beast Boy to hit him square in the…well, the Kardiak equivalent of a chest, he supposed.

Kardiak rolled backward and crashed onto the ground, at which point Raven's black energy surrounded him and handily dislodged all of his appendages. Before Kardiak could regenerate, Cyborg jumped into the air in front of it and fired a single blast, sending pieces of the villain flying up into the air like a metallic mushroom cloud. As debris rained down on the team that slowly collected around him, Robin turned toward the road to see the police lights blinking toward them down the street.

"Wow," Beast Boy muttered, picking bits of wire out of his hair, "talk about getting your heart broken."

Cyborg groaned, Raven rolled her eyes, Robin crashed a hand into his forehead, but Starfire remained strangely still. He looked at her curiously, watching as her arms folded across her chest uncomfortably and she stared down at the grass. Her eyes blinked and she sucked in a small breath, and his stomach plummeted with guilt.

As the group dispersed, Raven collecting the pieces together with her powers and loading them into the back of the armored police truck, he approached her tentatively.

"Star?" he murmured.

She didn't look at him, but she didn't move away either.

"Star, I- Do you think, maybe, we could- I-I could call the R-Cycle. We could…go somewhere. Talk," he muttered, nervous and hesitant.

"Robin," she sighed weakly, her exasperation evident, "it is too late for that."

"But, Star!" he blurted, reaching for her hand, but she pulled away before he could grasp it.

"Thank you for your assistance with the children," she said, her back to him, but her tone sincere and soft.

"You're welcome," he breathed, his mood plummeting with complete despair and utter defeat, and she walked away from him up toward the rest of the group. He followed shortly after, choosing to stand on the opposite side of the half-circle from her.

"So, you guys wanna get lunch?" Cyborg suggested, gesturing toward the main street.

"We just had breakfast like an hour ago," Raven countered.

"Yea," Cyborg muttered, raising his eyebrows at her. "So?"

Raven rolled her eyes as Beast Boy laughed.

"I'm in!" Beast Boy chirped, smacking Cyborg on the back. "Why don't you come too, Raven?" he suggested, looking hopefully at the girl across the group. "Weren't you saying there was a book you wanted to get?"

"Um…yea," Raven answered, visibly surprised as a faint blush crept up her cheeks. "I-I can't believe you remembered that."

"I listen sometimes," Beast Boy replied with a shrug, shooting Raven a wink, and she smiled slightly in response.

All the flirting was enough to make Robin sick, but those groups did work out well for him.

"Well, I'm not hungry," he announced, shooting an unseen glance at Starfire, who looked decidedly uncomfortable.

"Starfire?" Raven checked, the concern evident in her voice.

Starfire lifted her eyes to meet Raven's prying ones, and Robin watched another wordless conversation take place.

"No," she said simply, almost managing to sound nonchalant.

"Okay," Raven accepted briefly before turning to look at Robin. "I'll just take you guys home real quick and then meet you at the bookstore, okay?" she directed at Beast Boy, who nodded and headed off with Cyborg.

Raven was beside him in a second, and the familiar blackness enveloped him. There was a strange flash of pink in the midst of the darkness, and then he found himself toppling onto his own carpet.

"Hey!" he snapped, whirling around, but there was only a brief flash of smug, violet eyes before the black raven disappeared.

He grumbled to himself as he wandered over to his desk and opened his computer. Of course Raven would drop Starfire off in her room first so he couldn't talk to her. Of course she would have thought of that. Fairly certain that Starfire would not be leaving the sanctity of her room as long as it was just the two of them in the Tower, he opened the video chat on his computer, figuring he might as well pass the time in his room too.

"The Boy Wonder!" Kid Flash greeted, grinning broadly. "To what do I owe this honor?"

Robin groaned and slammed his forehead on the bit of desk exposed in front of the keyboard.

"That kind of call, huh?" Kid Flash inferred, his tone understanding and piteous.

He lifted his head and nodded morosely at the screen.

"Never fear, my friend!" Kid Flash chorused, disappearing for a second before returning wearing a fake mustache, a green beret, and wide-rimmed, circular glasses. "The doctor is in!" he announced grandly, lifting a yellow notepad into view, and Robin was grateful for the opportunity to laugh.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Starfire lay on the bed, stroking a purring Silkie absent-mindedly as she thought.

Robin was trying, she could see that. Part of her wanted to rush to him, to cry into his arms, to believe all of his apologies, to trust everything would be okay. But everything would not be okay. Everything would simply return to how it had been, and she would continue to be unhappy and discontent as Robin continued to pretend nothing had happened.

She whimpered weakly, gazing down at her fingers as they caressed Silkie's stomach. Truthfully, she did not have the heart for this. She simply was not strong enough to hold one of the grudges. Robin had done a terrible thing, and she was certainly still very angry with him, but she could not bear not speaking to him like this. It broke her heart anew each time she refused his pleading expression.

She lifted her head hopefully as a thought occurred to her. Perhaps she should speak to Robin. Perhaps the best way to resolve this issue was to merely explain her position, to tell him that she is confused and hurt by his mixed reactions about Speedy, as well as numerous other things that Robin was similarly uncomfortable with. Surely that would do more good than avoiding one another.

She rose from the bed, patting Silkie comfortingly as he cried out at being shifted, and walked out of her door. She found herself holding her breath as she approached Robin's door, her heart beginning to beat somewhat erratically.

"I don't know what to tell you, man," she heard a muffled voice say from within Robin's room, and she paused with alarm as she realized it was not Robin. "Sounds like you really made a mess of things."

"Helpful," Robin griped, "real helpful."

"Well…okay, let me ask you something," the voice said again, and she finally placed it as Kid Flash.

Robin must speak to him more often than she realized, because this was now the second time she had overheard a conversation between the two friends.

"Why does the whole Speedy thing bother you so much anyway?" Kid Flash continued.

Unashamedly, she swooped to the door, her ear hovering as close to the metal as possible without touching it.

"I-I don't know," Robin murmured, and Starfire rolled her eyes. Even when he was not speaking to her, he still could not give a proper answer.

"Oh, come on, of course you do!" Kid Flash mocked, and Starfire smirked.

"I don't know!" Robin bleated, and she could tell he was frustrated. "I just…don't like it. That's all."

"Ooookay," Kid Flash patronized, "but _why_ don't you like it?"

"Because- Because," he stammered, and Starfire held her breath. "Because of the team," he finished, and she barely contained a Tamaranean curse. "Because if she starts…_dating_, she'll get distracted and-"

Kid Flash interrupted him with a loud scoff, and Starfire suppressed a giggle. It was as if Kid Flash were reading her thoughts, and she was grateful. She surely did not have the gumption to say them.

"What?" Robin snapped. "What's wrong with that? It's dangerous having relationships when we live the life we do. People could get hurt."

"And you don't think Starfire and Speedy can handle themselves?" Kid Flash argued, and Starfire nodded supportively.

"Will you stop saying it like that?" Robin barked, and she heard a rattling thump that she assumed was Robin's fist coming down on the desk.

"Like what?" Kid Flash taunted. "Starfire and Speedy?"

"Yes," Robin muttered darkly.

"Starfire and Speedy, sittin' in a tree," Kid Flash sang, "K-I-S-S-I-N-G! First comes lo-"

"Stop!" Robin snarled angrily, but Kid Flash only laughed.

"Oh come on, man!" Kid Flash chuckled. "Why won't you just admit it? You _like_ her."

She was listening so intently, she could hear her heart pounding in her ears.

"No, I don't," Robin said flatly, and her entire body deflated. "Starfire is…" he paused, and she perked up with a faint glimmer of hope. "She's my best friend," he finished, and she wilted once again. "I just don't think Speedy's the right guy for her."

"Will you ever think anyone's the right guy for her?" Kid Flash posed thoughtfully.

The following silence was so heavy, Starfire could feel the tension stretching through the door, like invisible tendrils of anxiety twisting around her chest.

"Well…someone will have to be. Eventually. I suppose…" Robin trailed off sadly.

"And you're really okay with that?" Kid Flash pried, his tone disbelieving. "You're really never gonna make a move?"

"I told you," Robin contested tiredly, "that's just…not in the cards."

"Because you're a hero, or because you're you?" Kid Flash countered.

"What's the difference?" Robin answered with an exhausted sigh.

Starfire pulled away from the door, not needing to hear any more. She quietly stepped back to her room, hoping Robin would not hear the door close behind her. She breathed heavily for a moment, her mind processing.

She was his best friend. Merely his best friend. He was never going to make one of the moves. Nothing was ever going to happen between them. They would always only be friends, and that was evidently satisfactory to Robin. For her, however, that would not suffice.

Walking over to the computer, resigned yet determined, she opened the top and the screen lit up to where she had left it. She clicked the icon and waited, impatiently tapping her fingernails across the desk as the program rang.

"Twice in one day!" Galfore announced, smiling broadly, but his face fell slightly as he gazed out at her. "Has something happened?"

"What have you discovered regarding my question?" she asked curtly, not wishing to discuss the details of recent events with Galfore.

"Well, of course it is possible," he answered, his eyes skeptical and concerned, "but there are certain things that are…unavoidable."

"I assumed as much," she conceded.

"And you…you still wish to-" he began hesitantly.

"Yes," she interrupted firmly, giving him a stern nod.

He leaned in toward the camera, his face inquisitive and sympathetic. "Koriand'r, are you certain-"

"I am, Galfore," she interjected again.

He gazed at her a moment longer before leaning back into his chair. "Very well," he sighed, "I will begin the process. I shall call you when things are in order."

She shot him another small nod before the connection was terminated, the box that had held his face turning black and then disappearing. She gazed at the blank computer screen for a moment, fear gnawing at her stomach as she considered what she was doing.

Her head twisted back to look at the wall that separated her and Robin's rooms, and her jaw set with determination. If this was how it was going to be, then this was the best option for her.

Rising up out of her chair, she walked back over to the bed and settled down next to Silkie, who had been watching her longingly since her return. He cooed softly and cuddled against her leg, and she could not help but smile down at him, even as tears formed in her eyes.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Author's Note: **__So this chapter came out of me thinking about how cute Robin would have been as a little boy, and then how adorable it would be if Starfire had to babysit him. Now you're all like "What is this gonna be!?" Read, find out, and then review! And, just so you all know, this is going to have 14 chapters total, and then there will be a sequel starting up shortly thereafter._

_**Songs:**__ "Hero/Heroine (Acoustic)" - Boys Like Girls_

**_Don't forget the songs and other info about the fics is posted on my tumblr (see profile page for the link)_**

* * *

**Chapter 9**

**_Robin_**

It had been a few days since his altercation with Starfire, and she still wasn't talking to him apart from when she refused to talk to him. She was even being strategic about where she sat on the couch, making sure there was never a space for him beside her. Any time they were alone, she would suddenly need to feed Silkie or meditate, and the irony wasn't lost on him. They had effectively switched roles, and it felt awful.

He slipped his other boot on, completing his getting-dressed process, and clipped his utility belt around his waist. He was just opening his computer to check if he had any encrypted emails from the Bat Family when the alarm began shrieking in time with the flashing red light.

With a muttered curse, he entered the hallway, only to immediately tumble to the floor as he collided with something hard and purple. With his usual, rapid reflexes, he threw his arms out in front of him, planting his hands into the carpet and stopping in a raised push-up position above-

"Uh…hi," he murmured, his heart palpitating wildly as he gazed into Starfire's startled, green orbs. She was so close, he worried briefly that she would be able to see through his mask, but then her breath puffed warm against his face and he stopped thinking completely.

She blinked up at him blearily, her mouth slightly agape, before her eyes hardened. She floated out from under his arms wordlessly, flying down the hallway toward the living room and leaving him propped up stupidly on the floor.

He gazed after her for a moment before rising off the floor, straightening his uniform. A small chuckle emanated from behind him, and he whipped around.

"What?" he barked, glaring at Raven.

"Nothing," she dismissed with a teasing smirk as she walked up past him.

He glared at the back of her head as he followed, stomping into the room and down the few stairs to join the rest of the group that was gathered in front of the window.

In her usual fashion as of late, Starfire made sure to stand right next to Raven as they joined the group, Raven creating a barrier between the two of them. He glowered at the dark-haired girl, but she merely shrugged. Raven didn't usually take sides in these sorts of things, and she wasn't exactly being aggressive about it now either, but she was every kind of passive-aggressive towards him. Luckily, Beast Boy and Cyborg either had no idea what was going on, or chose to pretend as much, so he still had someone to talk to at least.

"Mumbo," Cyborg answered before he could ask, and he closed his opening mouth.

"Alright, let's go!" he ordered, and everyone broke into pairs. He rolled his eyes as Raven approached him. "Really?" he grumbled, exasperated.

Once again, Raven simply shrugged. "I'm just following orders," she answered, and he snarled as they approached the window.

He climbed into the black disc she created, walking to the front and sitting down with his legs dangling off the edge. Raven didn't even bothering asking him if he was ready this time before setting off, the bay stretching out below him as the wind whipped his hair in the late afternoon sun.

"So, how long are we gonna do this?" he asked her, turning his head and shouting over the wind.

"As long as it takes," Raven answered, looking down at him briefly as she focused on the city ahead.

"As long as it takes for what?" he probed.

She smiled down at him, her eyebrows rising tauntingly, and he twisted back to face the approaching buildings, scowling as he understood.

He was torn between hating the way things were and not wanting Starfire to win. What he meant by winning, he couldn't say, but he knew he didn't want to be the one to crack first. Besides, he'd been trying to apologize. It wasn't his fault she wasn't letting him.

There was an explosion down in the street ahead of them, and he pulled his thoughts back to the task at hand.

Beast Boy, Cyborg, and Starfire were already there, dodging the playing cards that were shooting out of Mumbo's wand, and apparently becoming sentient on the way out because they were flying around attacking the team like vicious, paper birds.

Raven dropped him onto the cement and flew back up into the air, slicing through cards as she shot toward Mumbo. The magician laughed maniacally and pointed his wand at her. A string of brightly colored handkerchiefs flew out, catching Raven off guard as they swept around her, pinning her arms to her sides and sending her crashing to the ground.

Robin flung a birdarang toward her, slicing through the strand that was slowly reeling Raven in, and handily catching the projectile as it spun back around to him.

Raven rose off the road, bursting out of her binds with her powers, and acknowledged him with a nod as she brushed her cloak off before shooting off toward Mumbo again.

A furious cry broke above him, and he looked up to see Starfire being chased by a flock of paper cards, turning occasionally to shoot a barrage of starbolts. She seemed like she could handle herself, actually appearing more frustrated than anything else, and so he turned his attention to Mumbo, who was now seemingly attempting to bury Cyborg in the flowers billowing out of his wand.

Robin ran toward the villain, passing a tied-up Beast Boy that Raven was tending to, and launched himself into the air, throwing an explosive disc as he went. The explosion knocked Mumbo backward, sending him tumbling across the ground. Robin noticed the wand go flying from the villain's hand, and he raced for it.

Mumbo also noticed his lose wand, however, and, as he recovered from his fall, he lunged toward it as well. He reached it seconds before Robin did, Robin's hands grasping at nothing but air as the wand was ripped out from underneath his outstretched fingers.

"Oh, so close!" Mumbo taunted gaily. "And yet"-he leveled the wand with Robin's chest, and the boy gulped-"so far!"

The bright, white blast hit him square in the chest, knocking the wind out of him as he rocketed backward. He had just enough time to wonder how much this was going to hurt before there was the familiar sound of smashing glass, followed by a heavy blow against his back. There was a thunderous thudding sound as debris fell over him, his vision blurring and darkening as he struggled to maintain consciousness.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"ROBIN!" she shrieked, the first time she had said his name in days.

As she flew down toward the store Robin had been thrown into, she heard Mumbo's laughter and saw a large cloud of purple smoke appearing from his position, but she would simply have to allow him to escape for the moment.

"Robin!?" she called as she entered the smashed store window, realizing it was one of the local bookstores. Books were still falling off semi-toppled shelves as she hovered over the mess, scanning the littered ground for signs of him. Then, she saw it: a corner of his cape sticking out from underneath a fallen bookcase.

"ROBIN!" She raced forward, lifting books and remnants of shelves frantically. Finally, she got to the heavy, wooden bookcase, flinging it aside with a strangled cry to reveal-

She froze, her eyes widening, too shocked to even gasp. There, groaning weakly as his head lolled gingerly from side-to-side, was a boy of about 8 years old with untidy black hair and pale skin. Perched on his face was a mask identical to Robin's, and he was wearing the same uniform, although it was far too large on his frame. She reached the only plausible conclusion, although it seemed entirely impossible.

"Robin?" she breathed, gaping down at the boy.

He groaned, twisting his head toward the sound of her voice.

"Mom?" he whispered faintly, and she did gasp at that, but her horror was momentarily postponed as he fainted.

She stared down at him, her mind reeling as her heart pounded against her ribs. Her fingers shaking, she stretched a wary hand toward his face.

"What hap- Wooooah…"

She turned to see Beast Boy standing in the hole Robin had created in the window, his eyes no doubt as wide as hers. Raven and Cyborg quickly joined him, freezing and staring down at the boy in the same way.

"Who- What- How-" Cyborg started several different questions, pointing as his eyes flicked between her and the unconscious Robin.

"Mumbo," Raven growled, and everyone turned to look at her. "He must have put some sort of…spell on him."

"Well, that would be new," Beast Boy blurted, gesturing down at them.

"He turned us into animals before," Raven expounded. "Why couldn't he do this?"

Beast Boy and Cyborg nodded in agreement, and Starfire shot a glance back at the boy before her.

"We have to go after him," Cyborg ordered, the unspoken leader now that Robin was in no position to do so. "Starfire?" he started, and she turned back to face him. "You go back to the Tower with…_him_," he ordered, raising a finger to silence her protests before she could even utter them. "Someone has to babysit," he explained. "We all know Beast Boy and I couldn't do it, and Raven-"

"No," Raven interjected, her eyes narrowing.

"Exactly," Cyborg said, gesturing at the cloaked girl beside him. "We'll call you when we find Mumbo," he added, and she knew arguing was futile.

She leaned over the boy, sliding hesitant hands underneath his neck and knees. He hung limply in her arms as she rose to standing, a lump forming in her throat and stinging her eyes as she gazed down at him. He was so frail, so fragile. It was quite a divergence from the Robin she was accustomed to.

Carefully, so as not to jostle him too much, she floated off the floor and out the broken window, tucking his head into her chest for added protection against the jagged, reaching shards.

"Dude," Beast Boy breathed as she carried Robin out into the light, everyone keeping a safe distance away from them as if the metamorphosis was contagious.

"This is by far the weirdest thing that has ever happened to us," Raven said monotonously, shaking her head with disbelief.

"You can say that again," Cyborg mumbled before clapping his hands together forcefully. "Alright, guys, everyone knows their assignments. Let's get this guy." He then turned toward Starfire, and she looked up at him, feeling utterly lost. "It'll be alright," he assured, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder.

She glanced down at the unconscious boy in her arms before looking back to Cyborg, willing herself to believe him.

He nodded at her encouragingly before turning away, and the trio took to the air and headed in the direction Mumbo had escaped.

With one last, worried glance at Robin, she tightened her hold on him and lifted off the ground, flying slower than she normally would have. She flew just over the level of the buildings, not wanting to get too high where the air got cold, but it was getting later in the evening and the last hints of light did nothing to warm the air at any level.

They were out over the bay, the waters sparkling orange in the setting sun, when the boy stirred in her arms. She looked down at him, concerned, and his head twisted against her body as he turned to meet her gaze.

"Am I… Am I dead?" he whispered faintly, his head shifting as he assumedly looked around at the sky above them.

"What?" she asked, surprised and worried as she considered whether Robin had hit his head.

"Am I dead?" he repeated. "We're- We're flying and- and- …Are you an angel?" he asked breathlessly, and she could not help but smile.

"No," she answered simply, shaking her head, "I am not an angel and you are not dead."

"Oh," he replied, noticeably relieved. "You're pretty like an angel," he added softly, and her eyes widened. He smiled sheepishly up at her, and she laughed outright.

It was truly ironic, the fact that an 8-year-old version of Robin could say such things when the most her Robin could manage was a compliment on her starbolts.

"Where are we going?" Robin asked, twisting in her arms to look out ahead of them.

"Home," she answered, nodding toward the Tower looming in front of them.

"But…I don't live there," he contested quizzically, pointing at the yellow building.

"Yes, you do," she corrected, her eyebrows furrowing. "That is Titans Tower. You live there with us, your friends. The Teen Titans."

He tilted his head curiously, his forehead wrinkling as they entered the open window in the Tower. He looked around as she landed on the carpet, and one of his hands gripped her arm with fearful uncertainty as she attempted to set him down.

"Robin?" she started, kneeling to the ground and setting him down to stand in front of her. "Do you remember the Teen Titans?"

His eyebrows wrinkled together for a moment before he slowly shook his head.

"Do you remember me?" she probed, placing a hand against her chest for emphasis.

He shook his head ashamedly, dropping his gaze to the floor.

She smiled, taking his two, small hands in her own to encourage him to look at her, which he did.

"Well, that is alright" she assured, and he smiled weakly. "We can do the introductions now." She released his hands and extended one of hers toward him. "It is lovely to meet you, Robin," she chirped. "My name is Starfire."

"Why do you call me that?" he asked, ignoring her outstretched hand.

She let it fall limply in front of her and looked up at him curiously.

"What do you mean?" she pressed.

"Robin," he clarified earnestly. "Why do you call me Robin?"

Her eyebrows furrowed as her head rattled with surprise. "Because…that is your name," she answered, perplexed.

He shook his head fervently. "No, it isn't. My name's-" he stopped, his forehead wrinkling. "I…I shouldn't tell you that…should I?" he breathed. He clutched at his head with a moan and crumpled in front of her.

"Robin!" she yelped, reaching out to grab him as he fell. He braced himself against her arms, and her eyes widened as he grew right where he stood in front of her.

"Robin?" she breathed, rising off the floor to standing. He was definitely taller; his head level with her at a higher point than it had been previously.

"You saw that, right?" Robin blurted, pointing between the two of them.

She nodded mutely, staring down at him in wonderment. "Are you…alright?" she asked.

"Yea, I…I think so," he said, patting his chest as if to make sure. "I…I remember now!" he exclaimed, looking up at her. "Robin! I'm Robin now," he continued, plucking at the uniform, which was still quite big on him.

"You are…older?" she questioned, trying to understand this.

"11," he answered matter-of-factly, nodding casually as if this were completely normal.

She blinked, perplexed, and then something clicked into place in her head.

"Your name!" she cried, startling him with her revelation. "You became older when you remember that you should not reveal your name. Perhaps, it is the memories that cause the change."

He nodded, his hand cupping his chin in a familiar Robin-like gesture as he thought. "Yea, yea that makes sense," he mused. "So, if I remembered more-"

"You would perhaps revert back to your original age!" she chimed in, clapping her hands excitedly.

Robin's forehead wrinkled as he stared up at her. "You're not from around here, are you?" he questioned, a half-smile tugging up one side of his mouth.

She shook her head, beaming as she grabbed his wrist. "Come along! I shall take you to your room! Perhaps it will promote more recollections!"

"Do you come with subtitles?" he quipped, and she chuckled sarcastically.

It was odd interacting with Robin in such a way. He felt more like her best friend again, and she could temporarily forget everything that had transpired between them as of late. This Robin had not done those things. He did not know; she could not hold it against him.

She pulled his glove off as they reached the door, and he yelped as she planted his palm against the scanner.

"Starfire, what are you-" he protested, but stopped short as the door slid open in front of him. "Wooooah," he stretched, ambling into the room, his head twisting frantically as he surveyed the surroundings. "This is my _room_?" he clarified, turning around to gape at her.

She smiled and nodded back at him, stepping inside herself as Robin raced to the wall where the newspaper clippings were hung. He gazed up at them, walking along the patch of wall slowly.

"Wow," he sighed, the syllable dripping with awe. "This is me?" he checked, pointing up at one of the pictures.

She approached and saw a particular clipping that had a slightly blurry picture of the Robin she was more familiar with leaping between rooftops.

"It is not a very good picture," she contested, squinting as if it would become clearer, "but yes."

"Awesome!" he exclaimed, racing from the wall to the closet. He ripped open the doors with an enthusiasm Starfire had not seen Robin possess in a long time, and began rummaging through the drawers.

"Cool," he breathed, twisting around with one of Robin's weapon discs in his hand. "What's this do?"

"Do not touch that!" she chided, rushing forward to take it from his hand. "It is not a toy!" She replaced the disc gingerly into Robin's drawer, trying not to look at much else while she was in there.

"But…it's mine!" he blurted, reaching for the handle again.

She placed her hand against the front of the drawer, holding it closed against his futile tugging. "It is not yours yet," she corrected, scolding him with a finger.

His forehead wrinkled as he scowled at her, but he quickly shrugged and turned away from the closet in favor of going through Robin's desk.

Starfire smiled at his back, shaking her head as she snapped the closet doors shut behind her.

"Hey," Robin called, and she turned to see him pulling what looked like a narrow, rectangular strip of paper out of one of the metal drawers beneath the desk, "is this us?"

She tilted her head curiously as she approached, and he held out the strip for her to take. It was smooth beneath her fingers, and she turned it over to find that it was not paper at all, but a photograph; several photographs, as a matter of fact.

It was the reel of pictures that a machine at the carnival had taken all those years ago. She had insisted on dragging Robin into the booth after he had explained what it was, and his displeasure was relatively obvious in the first photo. He was smiling across at her ecstatic expression in the second picture, and, by the fourth, he had flung his arm around her and they were both grinning into the camera.

"He kept it," she breathed, gazing down at the photographs with a watery smile. When the two identical strips had come out of the machine, Robin had taken his, but she had not truly expected him to keep it. She still had hers, of course, but that kind of sentimentality from Robin was surprising.

"Yes," she answered, remembering herself, "this is us at a carnival a few years ago."

"We look happy," he remarked, examining the picture as she handed it back to him.

Her smile fell and she cleared her throat uncomfortably at the carpet. "Yes, we…we were," she answered faintly, and even a younger version of Robin was not fooled.

"We're not anymore?" he questioned, his eyebrows rising speculatively.

She forced a smile, waving her hand in dismissal as she turned away from him to go perch on the edge of Robin's bed. "Of course we are," she lied with a feigned chuckle. "I merely meant that was a particularly pleasant day."

Robin's eyebrows wrinkled together as he scrutinized her, but he was either fooled or did not wish to argue the point because he turned away and placed the photographs back in the drawer. He stepped to the other side of the desk and picked up a framed photograph that was sitting in the corner. As he held it up under his nose, she saw that it was a picture of the Titans. They were all compacted together on one side of their usual table at the place of pizza, smiling –except for Raven- with their arms draped around one another. She remembered the waiter had been quite nervous taking the photograph, having to try three times before his hands stopped shaking enough to get a clear one.

"The Teen Titans?" he asked her, and her smile became real.

"You remember us?" she chirped, but her enthusiasm fell as he shook his head.

"No, I just assumed because you mentioned them earlier," he said with a faint sadness. "Weird, I never thought I'd join a team," he mused, bringing the photograph closer as if it would somehow prove to be fake.

She chuckled. "Actually," she began, pulling her legs up underneath her on the bed, "you formed it."

"I did?" he asked, twisting around to look at her with disbelief.

She nodded, beckoning him closer so she could point at the photograph. "This is Cyborg and Beast Boy"-she pointed to the pair pulling rather silly faces-"and this is Raven-"

"She looks like _loads_ of fun," he mocked as Starfire pointed at Raven's face, which was glowering up at Beast Boy's protruding tongue.

"She is…complicated," she explained delicately before pointing to the last two people in the picture. "And this is me, and this"-she pointed at Robin's masked visage-"is you."

The boy scraped his thumb across the picture, a faint smile tugging at his face.

When several moments passed and he did not speak, instead continuing to stare listlessly at the photograph, she grew concerned. "Robin?" she ventured softly.

"Did I ever tell you why I picked that?" he asked abruptly, still staring down at the picture.

"Picked what?" she probed, confused by the sudden, and seemingly irrelevant, question.

"Robin," he clarified, moving to set the photograph back in its place. "Did I ever tell you why I picked the name Robin?" he elaborated, his back still to her as he stood before the desk.

"Um…well, no," she started, biting her lip nervously, "but perhaps you should not-"

"I don't think I'd mind if you knew," he interjected, turning around to face her with a small smile.

She smiled at the strangeness of the sentence as well. "I suppose you would be the person to know," she conceded, and he chuckled lightly.

"My mother," he started softly, shifting his gaze out the window to his right, "she used to call me that. Her 'little Robin', she would say." He smiled a faint, sad smile down at the floor, and Starfire fought to keep her face impassive as a lump rose in her throat.

"I was born on the first day of spring," he explained somewhat quickly, "and a robin is a sign of spring, so…" he trailed off, gazing out the window. "Anyway," he blurted, clearing his throat, "when Batman asked me what I wanted to be called, that's what I picked. Robin. I guess I sort of thought, if I used that name, maybe it'd be more like I was fighting…for them, ya know?"

He turned to look at her, and she could feel her lip trembling with barely-restrained tears.

"Sorry," he chuckled, running a hand through his hair, "that probably doesn't make any sense."

"No," she contested weakly, shaking her head, "it does."

He smiled down at her and she cleared her throat as she rose from the bed. "Is anything in here inspiring memories?" she asked, trying to change the subject before she burst into tears.

He smiled in a knowing sort of way. "No, not yet," he sighed.

"I am going to retrieve one of the sodas," she said, needing something to do as a distraction. "Do you desire one as well?"

"Sure," he answered with a shrug, twisting away from her and walking back toward the closet.

"Ah!" she scolded, and he lifted his hands in the air beside his shoulders as he turned back to face her.

"I'll just look," he insisted, and she gave him a witheringly skeptical look. "Promise," he swore, tracing a small 'X' across his chest as he smiled a dazzlingly manipulative smile.

She narrowed her eyes at his faux innocence, all too aware of the mischief that lurked beneath that grin, but it was so terribly effective. She was very grateful Robin had grown out of that particular trait, for she would never be able to stay mad at him if he attempted it now.

"Alright," she allowed tentatively, and he grinned even broader. "I will back shortly. _Very_ shortly," she added for emphasis, giving him one last warning glance as she left the room.

She shook her head in amused frustration as she entered the living room, floating across to settle in front of the cooling box. It was rather unbelievable how much Robin had changed, and yet, simultaneously, had not. There were still elements of this mischievous, playful boy in Robin now, but they were deeply hidden by the more solemn version she saw appear briefly when he talked about his parents.

She winced into the box as she pushed through the cans in the drawer, trying to find the kind Robin preferred. Robin never spoke of his parents. He had told her that they were deceased, but he did not say how, or when, or any relevant details. Evidently, it must have happened quite some time ago, considering 11-year-old Robin did not appear terribly distraught by it, so she assumed it was not a recent occurrence.

11. It was so young, so young to lose one's parents, to become a hero. It was too young, far too young, to be running across rooftops, dodging bullets and fighting criminals. She shuddered at the thought of that boy -that small, innocent boy whose face lit up at the sight of his own room- being in such danger.

She gripped the dark cola in her fingers, her hand shaking the cold, metal can. She wanted to protect him. She wanted to whisk him into her arms, to cover his eyes so he did not see more of the dark horrors this world had to offer. She wanted to fight his battles for him, to take his pain upon herself and save him from the scars. But she could not. It had already happened. She could not preserve that faithful hope, that innocent trust. That boy was gone, and she could not save him.

Pulling herself together, and wiping the few loose tears from her cheeks, she grabbed another soda for herself and headed back out into the hallway. As the door to Robin's room slid open, she stopped dead, scanning the empty room.

"Robin?" she called, slightly frantic as she grew more and more concerned.

"In here," he answered, his voice slightly lower than she remembered.

Her head twisted to the right in the direction of the sound. It was then she saw that the door to her room was open, and she walked toward it.

"Sorry," he said as she entered the doorway, "I didn't know it was your room. I mean, I do now" –he gestured to his obviously older body-"but I didn't at the time."

She laughed lightly at the oddness of the situation, grateful this was finally a Robin she was actually familiar with. He looked to be about the age he was when they first met; which was nearly 4 years ago, so, doing the math, he was probably around 14.

"That is alright," she assured, shrugging as she handed him the soda and sat down beside him on the bed. "You know I do not mind. You do know…correct?" she added, pausing in her opening of the can to look across at him skeptically.

He laughed, lowering the can he was raising to his mouth. "Yes," he assured with a nod, "I know. I remember you now," he said softly, shooting her a warm, familiar smile.

She returned it and opened her own soda. "I am relieved to hear it," she chuckled. "It was quite strange to have you not recall who I was."

"Yea, I bet!" he blurted with a laugh. "But…you did okay," he praised with a small, sidelong glance.

"You remember our previous interactions then?" she inquired, lowering the can to her lap.

"All the way back to when I called you an angel," he joked, shaking his head with embarrassment as he smiled.

She laughed, choking on soda, and Robin started laughing at that. It was oddly not uncomfortable, considering what they were talking about. She relished this time while she had it, knowing it was only a matter of time before things had to return to normal.

"Do you think I'll remember this?" Robin asked as their laughter dissipated.

"I do not know," she said, her eyebrows furrowing. "You remember what has transpired since Mumbo's magic, but I am not sure if it will transfer once the magic has been reversed."

"Any idea when that will be?" he questioned, turning to look at the clock on her bedside table.

"They said that they would call when they had news," she answered with an apologetic smile.

Robin sighed and looked down at his lap, tapping the side of his soda can impatiently.

"So," she began, wishing to take his mind off the predicament, "what brought about your recollection this time?"

He plucked her snow globe off the table and swirled it in front of him. "The ferris wheel," he explained, peering through the glass at the falling glitter.

She smiled thoughtfully as she gazed down at it. "That was a gift from you," she said softly, and he looked up at her, surprised.

"Really?" he hissed with obvious disbelief.

She nodded. "The flower too," she added, pointing to the orchid on her desk across the room.

He followed her finger, and then dropped his eyes back to the snow globe, a slightly sad expression growing on his face.

"Robin?" she probed after several moments of silence.

"Starfire, how old are we now?" he asked, hesitant and strained.

"I became 17 last week, and you are 18," she answered warily.

"It's just, this…snow globe and-and the flowers and…" He looked up at her, a strangely confused and desperate expression on his face to match his tone. "Are we… Did we ever…" he trailed off, swallowing hard.

"No," she answered quickly, unable to bear listening to him continue. She hung her head, gazing down at the can in her lap as she fiddled with the loose, metal piece on top.

"Oh," Robin said weakly. "Of course not," he continued with a sad chuckle. "That would be against the rules."

"Rules?" she probed, curious enough to suppress her sadness and look up at him.

"It's a Batman thing," he muttered, tapping against the glass of the snow globe uncomfortably. "He has these rules. Most important is never revealing your identity, of course, but there's also one about relationships and how we shouldn't really…well, have them," he trailed off with a sidelong glance and meek smile in her direction.

"But that is horrible!" she bleated, twisting on the bed to face him more directly. "Why would he say such a thing?"

"He's just trying to protect me," Robin defended, his voice rising as he twisted to glare at her.

She recoiled slightly on the bed, her eyes widening in alarm and hurt.

His scowl quickly softened and he sighed, looking down again at the snow globe in his lap before replacing it on her bedside table.

"He just…" he paused, his fingers twisting around one another in his lap, "he doesn't want me to go through…what he has."

"What do you mean?" she ventured cautiously, not wishing to incite another outburst.

"He… He's lost some people. People he cared about," he began explaining softly, and Starfire looked down at the mattress. "They got too close and criminals…_exploited_ that connection," he stressed.

She lifted her eyes momentarily to his to show that she understood what he meant.

"He still carries the guilt. I can tell," Robin continued, shaking his head sadly as he gazed at the floor in front of him. "He just wants to make sure I never feel that way; that I never have those weaknesses."

"Robin," she said softly, leaning across the space between them to cover one of his hands with her own.

He looked up at her, his expression pained.

"Love is never a weakness," she concluded in a whisper, pleading with him with her eyes.

His lip trembled slightly as his mouth opened to permit a sharp inhale. "Starfire, I-" he started, twisting his hand under hers to grip back, but a loud bang outside interrupted him.

They exchanged an alarmed, confused glance before rushing out the door. There was a commotion coming from down the hall, so they raced toward it and burst into the living room to find the other Titans standing in front of the couch with a tied up Mumbo at their feet.

"Change him back," Raven growled, her cape billowing around her threateningly.

"Aw, come on!" Mumbo whined, wriggling against the ropes that wrapped around his torso as he looked up at her and Robin. "He's so cute and pint-sized!"

"I'll show you cute," Robin snarled, and Starfire reached forward to catch his shoulder as he lunged toward Mumbo.

He stilled beneath her grasp, but his hands curled to fists at his sides.

"I said, change him back!" Raven repeated, flipping Mumbo over to face her with her powers as a large, black raven appeared behind her. "NOW!" she commanded, her eyes glowing white.

"Alright, alright!" Mumbo agreed, obviously shaken. He wriggled on the floor so he could point his wand toward them, which was not an easy feat considering his arms were pinned to his sides. With a small flick, a jet of white light shot out and hit Robin in the chest.

"Robin!" Starfire called, catching him under his armpits as he toppled backward.

He groaned as she pulled him to standing, and she was relieved to see he was now the appropriate height.

"You are normal!" she cried, wrapping her arms around his neck, her feet tucked up behind her as she levitated into the hug.

"See!" Mumbo chirped, twisting to look up at Raven. "No harm, no foul!"

"Nice try," she snapped, and a black portal opened in the floor beneath Mumbo. He vanished into it with a startled yelp, and the floor returned to normal.

"Where did you send him?" Beast Boy inquired, looking across at Raven somewhat fearfully.

"Jail," she answered simply, and Starfire released Robin's neck and lowered herself to the ground as Raven approached them.

"Are you alright?" Raven asked, her eyes scanning him.

"Yea, I…I think so," Robin murmured, running a hand through his hair. "What-What happened?" he asked, turning to direct his question at Starfire.

"You…do not remember?" she confirmed, her heart sinking.

He shook his head, his eyebrows furrowing. "I remember…fighting Mumbo, and I-I…" he trailed off, grinding into his forehead with his fingers.

"Perhaps you should do the lying down," Starfire suggested, placing a hand gently on his arm.

He lifted his head and smiled at her. "Yea, you're probably right," he said faintly, allowing her to guide him toward the door.

"So," she began tentatively as they reached the door of his bedroom, "you do not recall anything beyond the battle with Mumbo?"

"No, nothing," he answered softly, shaking his head. "Why? Did something happen?" he pried, looking at her curiously.

She smiled sadly down at the floor. "Nothing of consequence," she whispered, stepping back from him toward her own room.

"Feel the better," she wished, shooting him a small smile before turning away and entering her door. She leaned against it as it closed behind her, her head bouncing off the cool metal as she sighed up at the ceiling.

He did not remember. He did not remember any of it. Nothing was different. They were in exactly the same situation they had been in this morning, and that was a rather unpleasant one.

She hung her head, staring sadly down at her shoes.

If Robin had remembered, they could have discussed the things he had told her. Perhaps, they could have discussed the entire issue, considering they were most definitely related. But now…

Robin could not have relationships. Robin could not care for her the way she did for him. He had said as much, although not in those exact words. She understood the reasoning, and it did sound logical, noble even, but she could not help but be offended. She could take care of herself. She did not need Robin to protect her. Any threats that came their way, any criminals that attempted to exploit their connection, she could manage it. Did Robin not think her capable? Did he simply not wish to try? That is what he had said to Kid Flash, after all. They would never be anything more than this. Not ever.

She lifted her head, simultaneously resigned and determined, and walked to her computer. She flipped it open, hit the appropriate buttons, and waited.

"I was just about to call you," Galfore said, smiling softly.

"You have the news?" she asked, her stomach twisting nervously.

"Yes," he answered, his tone somewhat sad, "everything is in order. You may come any time you wish, but there is no hurry," he added hopefully.

She dropped her gaze to the board of keys, uncertainty creasing her forehead. "I will inform you when I am prepared to leave," she answered firmly, and Galfore sighed.

"Koriand'r," he started pleadingly, "are you certain you have adequately thought this through? Earth has been good for you. You have been so happy there. Are you sure you wish to-"

"Things change, Galfore," she interjected, curt but mournful.

His eyes bored into her own, but she held his gaze, determined and unwavering. After a moment he sighed, lifting a hand to rub at his temple.

"I will await your call," he muttered before disconnecting the call, and she was left staring at blackness.

She closed the computer with a sigh, kneading her forehead with her right thumb and index finger. This was the best choice; she had to believe in that. She was doing the right thing.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

**_Robin_**

Robin sighed heavily as his door closed behind him, stopping for a moment as he lifted a hand to cover his eyes. His desk was visible through the slits between his fingers, and he lowered his hand as he stepped over to it. The metal drawer opened with a scrape, and he pulled out what he was searching for before sitting back on the bed.

He glided his thumb across the surface of the photographs, staring down at the smiling faces seemingly so far removed from the present.

Robin remembered everything, from waking up in her arms over the bay, to their awkward exchange in her room. He just didn't want to admit it. Really though, how was he supposed to deal with the fact that he'd called her 'pretty like an angel'? That was so unbelievably embarrassing! There were other aspects of the day that he would like to talk to her about, but he couldn't pretend to just remember those. That wouldn't make any sense.

He groaned, crashing backward onto his bed. His hand lay on his chest, and he peered down at the picture still poking out the top of his light grasp.

He wished there was a way to go back to that. He wished he could start over from there; do it all differently. But he wouldn't, even if he could. This was the way it had to be. It was safer this way, just as Batman had always told him. He couldn't let her get hurt, especially not over him. But, maybe, in time…

He sighed, twisting off the bed. He placed the photograph on his nightstand and kicked off his boots before standing to take off the many pieces of his uniform. When he was down to just the undershirt and special boxers he wore beneath his uniform, he climbed back into bed, too tired and lazy to get changed properly. While saying he needed to lie down had been a good way to avoid questions, he also really did need it.

Rolling over onto his side, he pressed his head into the pillow, his exhaustion overtaking him before he could even realize he was still wearing his mask.


	10. Chapter 10

_**Author's Note:**__ I love Starfire in this chapter too! ACK! Only 4 more chapters to go, you guys!_

_**Songs:**__ "Say It To Me Now" - Glen Hansard (relevant for the end, once Robin enters her room)_

* * *

**Chapter 10**

The next few days after the Mumbo incident passed fairly uneventfully, with Starfire speaking to Robin as little as possible. Mumbled assents to his orders, the occasional refusal as he still attempted to speak to her. Although, she had noticed he was getting a little more creative with his methods every day. Even though it had been made very clear that Robin was to ride on Raven's black, energy discs from now on, that did not stop Robin from trying. She noticed him strategically positioning himself near her within the group when they would be preparing to leave, but Raven always intervened, and she would smile gratefully as Robin glared.

She also strongly suspected Robin was not putting forth the same effort in battle, purposefully allowing himself to be hit. He would rocket backward, and she would clench her fists as she fought with herself not to swoop down to him. She had discussed this with Raven, however, and so far Raven had never failed to catch him. Still, it was incredibly disconcerting that Robin was going to such extremes. She worried greatly for what would happen if he became any more reckless.

"You're sinking," a voice broke through her thoughts, and she rattled her head to dislodge the fog of worry.

"Pardon?" she answered Raven.

"You're sinking," the girl repeated, and Starfire noticed that Raven was now a foot or two higher than herself.

"Oh," she muttered embarrassedly, rising back up to hover level with her friend.

"Something on your mind?" Raven asked, releasing her meditating stance to fold her arms in her lap.

Starfire sighed heavily, letting her head droop. "Nothing more than the usual," she said weakly to her legs folded beneath her.

Raven did not answer, but placed a comforting hand on her shoulder briefly before lowering to the ground.

"You wanna get some lunch?" she asked, looking up at where Starfire still hovered.

She smile down at her friend and dropped to the roof in front of her. "That would be most enjoyable," she answered, and Raven smiled before leading the way to the stairs.

They entered the living room to find it empty, which was rather odd considering the time. It was nearly 1; surely everyone would be awake by now. It was not entirely inconvenient though, as she and Raven were permitted to settle down on the sofa after preparing themselves sandwiches. It had become one of the traditions for the girls lately: eating the sandwiches of peanut butter and fruit gelatin as they did the girl talk.

"So," Raven mumbled through a mouthful of the crisped potatoes that they often enjoyed with their sandwiches, "you figured out what you're going to do about Robin yet?"

Starfire bit her lip nervously. She had not yet told Raven about her plans with Galfore. Truthfully, she did not wish to. It would somehow make it far more real than she was prepared to handle.

"No," she answered weakly, stiffly swallowing her guilt.

"Well, I say just freeze him out 'til he cracks," she supplied, pointing her sandwich at her forcefully before taking another bite.

"Freeze him… I do not understand," she mused, her eyebrows furrowing as she chewed through her own bread.

"Well, freezing him out is basically what you've been doing," Raven explained, setting her sandwich back down on the plate in her lap. "Not talking to him, not letting him get to you, that sort of stuff. And, if you keep doing that, he'll probably crack, which would mean giving up and finally give you the real answers you want."

Starfire swallowed, her forehead wrinkling thoughtfully. "But, Raven?" she inquired, looking across at her friend. "What if he does not do the cracking?"

"Yea, Raven," a male voice behind them said, and her heart stopped. "What if he doesn't?"

She twisted her head around rapidly, her eyes wide and horrified as her mouth gaped.

Robin hovered over them, his arms folded as he glared down at Raven, who looked impressively unconcerned.

"Then he's an idiot," she snapped back, returning his glare.

Robin's mouth fell open, his forehead wrinkling angrily as his hands fell to fists at his sides.

"Come on, Star," Raven commanded, and Starfire rose from the couch as if it had caught fire. "It's getting kind of crowded in here."

Starfire carried her plate in front of her as she followed Raven, casting a quick glance at Robin before she could stop herself.

He looked angry, but also somewhat pained, and the tension in his body fell away as he met her eyes.

She quickly twisted her gaze away, however, and exited the room into the hallway.

"I will be there shortly," she called to Raven, who was heading to her own room. "I wish to bring Silkie for our girl talk," she explained, smiling broadly.

Raven rolled her eyes, but nodded and continued down the hallway.

She slipped into her room, looking around for her bumgorf. He found her first, however, and she jumped slightly as she felt him rubbing against the side of her foot. She grinned down at him before scooping him up with her free arm and heading down the hall to Raven's room.

She knocked on the door weakly with the edge of her plate, and it opened immediately. Walking across the carpet to the bed, she set Silkie down on the navy blankets before sitting next to Raven.

"Silkie! Silkie, no!" Raven snapped, snatching her plate off the bed and away from the pet, who had been creeping toward the crisped potatoes with a longing look in his eyes.

Starfire giggled, scooping Silkie up into her arms, where he cooed happily as she tickled his stomach.

"Oh, but Raven, he loves the crisped potatoes!" she whined down at the smiling creature. "Right, Silkie? You love the crisped potatoes, yes you do!" she cooed, snatching up a small piece from her plate and feeding it to her pet.

He munched cheerily for a moment before making a small, squealing sound and wriggling in her arms.

She giggled, setting him down on the floor, where he proceeded to crawl away and investigate Raven's room.

"Ya know he's just going to beg all the time if you feed him stuff like that," Raven admonished, pointing down to where Silkie was sniffing her bookshelf.

"He already does," Starfire shrugged, smiling adoringly at the small creature, "but I simply cannot refuse that face!"

Raven chuckled, shaking her head as she crunched through another crisped potato.

"So, anyway," Raven started, turning serious, "like I was saying, I think you should just keep doing what you're doing with Robin."

"But, I am not doing anything," she reminded tentatively.

"Exactly," Raven chirped, giving her a small nod and a smile.

Starfire smiled back with understanding and finished the last of her sandwich. Just as she opened her mouth to change the subject, the blaring alarm did it for her.

"Trouble!" her and Raven exclaimed in unison, rising off the bed and shooting into the hallway, following closely behind Beast Boy as they raced to the living room.

"Atlas. Video store downtown," Robin answered the unspoken questions as everyone rushed in, the screen in front of him blinking with various red dots that denoted where alarms and calls to the police were originating.

"Well alright!" Cyborg exclaimed, his sonic canon whirring to life.

"Let's try and keep the damages minimal," Robin cautioned, twisting in his chair and rising to standing. "I got another letter from the mayor yesterday."

"Detailing his better idea for taking care of the psychos?" Beast Boy snapped sarcastically.

"Seriously," Raven agreed, frowning and crossing her arms.

Beast Boy turned to eye her warily. "You're…agreeing with me?" he clarified, skeptical and surprised.

"Don't get used to it," Raven grumbled, but Beast Boy grinned at her regardless.

"He's just upset about all the cars. And buildings. And roads. And fire hydrants," Robin listed, getting progressively more monotonous. "Look, let's just try and be careful, alright?"

"Fine," Cyborg muttered angrily, retracting his sonic canon, "but I'm taking the T-Car."

"You know we've gotten noise complaints about-"

"I know," Cyborg interrupted with a smirk, disappearing through the stairwell door.

Robin looked as though he was about to reprimand him, but instead shook his head with a sigh.

"Oh, screw it," he blurted suddenly, bounding across the room and disappearing down the stairs after Cyborg.

"Raven, what are they-" Starfire started, looking curiously across at the girl.

"They're going to make as much noise as possible," she explained, hitting the button on the wall to retract the window.

"But, Robin just said-"

"It's a prideful spite thing," Raven dismissed with a wave of her hand. "Boy stuff. Far too juvenile for us to understand."

"Hey!" Beast Boy bleated, glaring at the dark-haired girl. "We're not-" He cut off as Raven gave him a withering look.

"Yea, okay, fine," he conceded, shrugging and moving to stand next to her as she formed a black disc beneath his feet.

Starfire smiled at her two friends, happy and nosily suspicious that they seemed to be getting along better lately. It was nice that somebody was, at least.

"Ready?" Raven asked, turning to look back from her position at the window.

She nodded and Raven flew herself and Beast Boy out of the window. Starfire shot out after them, flying up alongside Raven as Beast Boy sat at the girl's feet.

"Ya know, this would be a whole lot more comfortable with a back support," Beast Boy suggested, and his back was indeed hunched awkwardly. "Of course, I could always just…" he trailed off, leaning back toward Raven's legs.

"I've kicked you off one of these before; I'll do it again," Raven snarled, and Beast Boy jolted back upright, chuckling at the reaction he had obviously intended to incite.

Starfire herself could not help but giggle, and she would swear she saw Raven smile faintly down at the back of Beast Boy's head.

Raven's eyes dropped to the space at her feet, and some of the black energy from the disc stretched up to Beast Boy's back.

He twisted around in alarm as it reached him, but quickly calmed and leaned against it.

"Much obliged," he said with a smile, inclining his head and gesturing as if he were tugging on the brim of a hat.

Raven rolled her eyes, but Starfire grinned at the small smile she saw curl the corners of her friend's mouth.

As they reached the coast and began weaving through the streets, she heard the distant roar of the T-Car and R-Cycle somewhere ahead of them. They directed their flight toward the sound and, as they rounded a particularly tall building, their destination became clear. There was debris flying out the broken, front window of an electronics store down below, and loud shouting could be heard as they drew closer to the pavement.

"You cannot be sold out!" assumedly Atlas shouted, and Starfire could see his large, red form inside the store as she landed. "I need that game! FIND ME THAT GAME!"

"Hey!" Cyborg bellowed as he jumped out of the T-Car, Robin pulling up on his motorcycle behind him. "Next time,"-he leveled his sonic canon at the villain-"preorder."

Atlas let out a loud cry and charged out of the store toward the gathered Titans, who immediately scattered.

Starfire shot up in the air, Raven hovering in the air some distance to her left, while Cyborg and Beast Boy engaged the criminal. Robin, who had pulled away to avoid Atlas' attack, was rushing back into the fray after leaving the R-Cycle safely off to the side as Starfire and Raven flew forward.

She shot starbolts at Atlas, sending him staggering backward as Robin threw an exploding disc at him. Even though they were not speaking, they were so accustomed to coordinating attacks that they still completed them even without any form of signal or interaction.

Atlas toppled backward, nearly crushing a car before Raven lifted it out of the way with her powers, obviously in accordance with the cautions Robin had given them. As Raven gently set the car down on the road some distance away, Robin acknowledged this with a brief wave in her direction before running forward to assist Beast Boy and Cyborg, who had converged on Atlas after he fell.

Atlas jumped up, however, and fired some sort of beam at Beast Boy, sending the green rhino flying backward into Raven. The girl fell out of the air, the black energy band she had been in the process of conjuring disappearing as she tumbled to the ground with a now-human Beast Boy on top of her.

"Are you injured?" Starfire asked, dropping to the ground beside them.

"Don't think so," Beast Boy answered, scanning his body.

"Get OFF!" Raven growled, and Beast Boy yelped as she threw him to the side with her powers.

"Okay, now I am," Beast Boy groaned as he rose off the road, but Raven only rolled her eyes.

Starfire nodded at them briefly, content that they were alright, before shooting back into the air to assist Robin and Cyborg. Cyborg was blasting Atlas repeatedly, and Atlas appeared to be retreating up the street as Robin chased them after being thrown some distance away.

Abruptly, Atlas' boots ignited and he was propelled into the air, weaving around a building and disappearing.

"Where'd he go?" Cyborg whined, twisting his head around to scan the sky.

"You check up there," Robin ordered, pointing up the way Atlas had been running. "I'll double back to the store."

Starfire was about level with the electronics store, hovering in the air, uncertain of what she should do. Cyborg disappeared into an alleyway as Robin began walking back toward her, scanning the alleys as he passed.

She started with surprise, her eyes narrowing as she thought she saw something move out of an alleyway behind Robin, but it disappeared behind a vacated, city bus before she could confirm it. Suddenly, the bus rocketed forward, flying down the street and directly at-

"ROBIN!" she screamed, straining to utilize every bit of speed she possessed.

The bus encroached on him rapidly, and her heart pounded furiously as she considered she may not make it in time. Robin was halfway turned around when her hands closed around his shoulders and, as the bus loomed in front of her, she did the only thing she knew she had time for.

Throwing Robin to the side, she crossed her arms in front of her face in a desperate attempt to protect herself as the bus collided with her. The metal bent around her form and she was ripped off her feet, glass shattering as she was dragged along with the speeding bus. Out of the corner of her squinted eye, she saw a fleeting image of the electronics store passing in a blur, and she knew what was coming next.

Steeling herself as much as possible, she prepared for the impact as best she could before the bus collided with the large, brick building she knew she was quickly approaching. She gritted her teeth, and felt the painful, crushing collision for only a second before losing consciousness in the tumult.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

**_Robin_**

He bounced off the road, feeling the tar tearing at his exposed elbows as he rolled. When he finally came to a stop, he pushed himself up onto his hands, lifting his head to find whatever it was that had hit him. His vision was still slightly blurry from the impact, but he could tell there was nothing there. Nothing but two, heavy lines of tread marks leading to where a city bus had apparently bounced off the brick apartment building at the end of the road; a pile of rubble settling between the accordioned front-end and the crumbling wall.

He shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, and that's when he remembered. Her scream echoed around his skull, as if she were calling to him all over again.

"STARFIRE!" he shrieked, shakily rising to his feet. He sprinted toward the scene, dimly aware of the sounds of a fight breaking out behind him as the other Titans assumedly confronted Atlas. As he grew nearer to the mound of broken rock, he saw a small portion of a purple boot jutting out at the bottom, and his breath stalled in his chest.

"Starfire!" he screamed again, falling to his knees and throwing rocks aside frantically. "No, no, no," he muttered, his vision growing watery as he couldn't stop himself from imagining just what he was going to uncover.

Rolling away a large chunk of debris, he revealed her torso, and he inhaled sharply at the gashes trickling blood.

With renewed fervor, he tore through the remaining rubble, a strangled cry escaping him with every strained effort.

"No…" he breathed as he removed the last of the restraining pieces, revealing her face, neck, and shoulder.

Her eyes were closed, her face splotched with dirt. There were several, small cuts all across her body-her arms sustaining most of the damage-and blood rolled down her temple from a substantial gash on her forehead.

"Starfire?" he called, sliding a hand under her head to pull it out of the rubble. "Starfire!?" he beckoned again, raising his other hand to cup the side of her face, his thumb stroking up and down her cheek.

She did not respond to him at all, her head lolling limply in his hands.

With shaking fingers, he lowered his hand from her cheek to settle it against her neck, holding his breath as he searched for a pulse. He nearly started crying with relief as he felt the blood vibrate weakly against his fingers.

"Star!" a voice behind him cried, desperate and frantic.

He turned to see Raven, who halted her approach as her eyes widened down at his fingers against Starfire's neck. She looked up at him, her eyes beginning to sparkle as her mouth opened with trembling lips.

"She's alive," he answered before she could ask.

Raven closed her eyes and sighed with relief, a hand rising to clutch at her chest. She took a moment to compose herself before looking back up at Robin, her eyes determined. "Go," she commanded. "We can handle Atlas. Get her home."

Robin did not need to be told twice, and nodded at Raven before she flew off.

Sliding one arm underneath her neck and another under her knees, he hoisted her frail, limp body out of the debris, bits of stone falling off her to sprinkle against the mound like a thousand, bloody hailstones. He could feel the warm wetness against the exposed portion of his arm, and he swallowed a sob as he began carrying her toward the R-Cycle. He held her tightly to him as he lifted one leg over the motorcycle, gently lowering her into his lap. Keeping his arm under her knees, he reached his left hand up just enough to grab onto the handlebar. He pulled her head into his chest, cradling it against his right shoulder as he reached out to rev up the motorcycle.

The R-Cycle shot off, and he bent forward to shelter as much of her body as he could. He probably looked at her more than the road, watching as her head rattled against his shoulder with the bumps and turns. Even just in the time it took to get to the faux dumpster that concealed the entrance to the tunnel under the bay, the cut on her forehead had begun to heal. He hoped that accelerated Tamaranean healing was working just as well everywhere else, considering he could now feel her blood running down his arm.

They pulled into the garage with a sideways squeal, and he lifted her off the motorcycle as quick as he dared. He raced up the stairs, trying not to jostle her too much, and kicked open the doors to the infirmary. Laying her down gently on one of the white-covered beds, he slid his arms away and leaned in to finally examine her properly.

The cuts he had previously noticed did appear to be healing, and he was grateful for that. The relief lasted only a moment though before he remembered the blood he had felt on her back, and he gently pulled her forward by the shoulders to inspect it.

"Oh, god…" he breathed, his eyes widening as he stomach plummeted. The cuts were shallow and healing, few were still bleeding freely, but there were so many of them. The blood was smeared all over, blended with dirt and small particles of rock in muddy, russet swirls. He closed his eyes as he lay her back down, unable to bear looking at it any longer.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, stroking a stray hair off her face. "I'm so sorry."

It was his fault. It was all his fault. If he had been paying attention, if he had just turned around…

He sighed sorrowfully, hanging his head as he pulled his hand from her face. Turning away, he headed over to the cabinets against the wall and pulled a cloth from the cupboard. He went to the sink, running some warm water over the surface before squeezing it lightly to remove excess water. He then returned to Starfire's bedside, hoping he could at least get most of the dirt out of the wounds before they healed. He wasn't sure how infection worked with Tamaraneans and their accelerated healing, but it certainly couldn't hurt.

He ran the cloth across her forehead, the dirt and blood coming off in watery streaks. He dabbed the wound above her eyebrow gently, hoping he wasn't hurting her, but it appeared to be nearly fully closed. Twisting the cloth in his hand to a clean section, he began brushing down her cheeks. He stopped abruptly as he saw her eyelids twitch slightly, a weak groan escaping her barely-parting lips.

"Star?" he questioned, pulling the cloth away and leaning in over her head. "Star?!"

Her eyelids fluttered open and she looked around blearily, slowly focusing in on his face.

"Robin?" she whispered faintly.

"Yea?" he answered, leaning in closer so he could hear her better.

"Are you… Are you injured?" she concluded, her eyes scanning his face with concern.

He tilted his head in confusion before chuckling in spite of the situation.

"I'm fine," he assured, smiling down at her. "It's you we have to worry about." He reached back down toward her with the cloth, but she jolted away from him. He wrinkled his eyebrows at her, confused, his hand stalling in midair.

"I am capable of taking care of it," she said flatly, sliding her legs off the opposite side of the bed.

"What are you doing!?" he blurted, rushing over to block her way. "Lie back down."

"I am fine," she sighed exasperatedly as she stood.

"No, you're not," he countered, gripping her shoulder with his hand.

She wriggled out from under his grasp and walked around him.

"Where are you going?" he demanded as he followed her, confused and angered by her stubbornness.

"To the shower," she replied curtly, gesturing at the door behind her. "I do not believe your assistance will be required in there," she quipped sarcastically.

He was overwhelmed with an odd sensation, as if hot flashes and chills were alternating rapidly across his body, and his stomach rolled violently. His heart pounded in his ears and his mouth went dry as he struggled to clear his head enough to speak.

"Oh, right, yea," he stammered, taking a few, small steps backward. "I'll just, uh…wait out here," he muttered, feeling for the edge of the bed behind him.

He sat down, relieving his weakened knees as she disappeared behind the door of the infirmary shower. Breathing heavily, he closed his eyes, trying to move his mind to things that would return blood flow to his brain. Just then, he heard the shower turn on, and his eyes flicked up to the door.

"Dammit!" he groaned, hanging his head in his hands.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

She winced as the hot water raced down her back, the water at her feet swirling with a muddy, red tint. She ran her fingers through her hair, bits of rock dislodging and clicking against the plastic floor. Reaching for the generic shampoo that was kept in the infirmary shower, she pushed down the pump and lathered the liquid in her hands before running it through her hair. Once it was thoroughly rinsed out, she turned to ensure that all of the remnants were washed from her back so as not to irritate her wounds. It appeared as if the cuts had closed, however, because it did not sting the way it had when she first entered the shower. Content that she had thoroughly removed all the dirt and blood from her person, she turned off the shower and stepped out, grabbing the towel she had hung up on the hook.

She patted herself dry gingerly, being especially careful with her back, before grabbing one of the robes that were kept in the bathroom closet. She ruffled her hair with the towel to dry it enough not to be dripping and slipped into the robe. Tying it tightly around her waist, she gathered up her dirtied uniform in one hand and opened the door with the other.

Robin leapt off the bed as she stepped out, and she saw a lump traverse down the front of his throat.

"Feel better?" he asked, his voice slightly higher than usual.

She nodded wordlessly, granting him a small smile before walking toward the door.

"Wait!" he called, catching up with her as she reached the doorway. "Let me help you," he implored softly, placing a hand on the small of her back.

She pulled away from him, shaking her head. She could not allow this to happen. Things were not okay, she and Robin were not okay, and she knew if she let him in even a little, all of her resolve would crumble.

"Your assistance is not required," she insisted, continuing down the hallway toward the door to the stairwell.

"Alright, alright," he blurted, jumping in front of her to block her way, "but will you at least take the elevator?"

She tilted her head, narrowing her eyes at his pleading face.

"Fine," she granted, and she saw him small softly before she turned around and headed back toward the elevator, his footsteps following her.

She hit the button for the elevator and crossed her arms, the silence heavy as they waited.

"Here," Robin said, taking her uniform out of her arms. "You'll get your robe dirty," he explained, rolling the purple bundle tightly around the armbands she had wrapped inside before tucking it under his arm.

She gave him a small smile and nodded, not wanting to speak too much lest she find herself conversing with him as if everything were normal.

They waited in silence for a few more moments before the elevator mercifully chimed to announce its arrival.

She stepped inside and tucked herself into the back corner, leaving hitting the appropriate button to Robin as he slid in after her.

He leaned against the back of the elevator a few feet from her, folding his hands behind the small of his back.

They rode in silence, her pointedly avoiding meeting the eyes she could feel boring into her as she watched the light slowly beep up the numbers over the door. What seemed like an eternity later, the doors opened on the main floor, and she bolted out ahead of him and began walking down the hallway toward her room. She heard his hurried footsteps catching up to her and rolled her eyes at the door as she opened it.

She entered the room and immediately sat down on her bed, hoping to dissuade Robin from bothering her if she made it apparent she needed to rest. A second later, however, the door opened, and she sighed with regret at having everyone's handprint programmed into her door lock.

"Robin, I would very much like to-"

"In a minute," he interrupted, and she gaped up at him, aghast.

"I beg your-"

"Why?" he interrupted, folding his arms across his chest, a stern expression on his face.

She blinked up at him, exhausted from her accelerated healing. "Why…?" she prompted weakly.

"Why did you do it?" he added.

She hung her head, grinding circles into her right temple with her fingers. "Robin, I do not-"

"Why did you push me out of the way?" he clarified gruffly, stepping forward slightly.

She lifted her eyes to meet his mask, her forehead wrinkling as she wondered if she had heard him correctly. "What do you mean?"

"Why did you push me out of the way of that bus?!" he snapped suddenly, stepping forward with his arms thrusting angrily down to his sides. "You could have-" He hesitated, the anger in his face faltering. "You could have been hurt," he finished, softly this time.

"But, Robin," she began, confused as to why he did not see, "you could not have… You would have surely-"

"I would have been fine," he insisted, dismissing the outcome she could not voice with a wave of his hand. "I had it under control."

"Robin!" she bleated, shocked and offended. "You did not even-"

"I would have figured it out!" he snarled back at her. "I always do."

She could not argue with that, but she still thought he was being entirely absurd, so she opted to remain silent and let her gaze drop to the floor.

"Just…don't do it again," he muttered, and she saw his feet turn back toward the door.

She bolted to standing, something breaking loose inside of her.

"So I am supposed to stand by and allow you to die!?" she shouted at his back, and he froze.

"That's not your decision to make," he answered coldly to the door.

"It most certainly is!" she argued, taking a challenging step forward. "If I am capable of saving you, you cannot expect me to-"

"I'M NOT ASKING YOU!" he bellowed, twisting around abruptly, and she shrank back from the sound. "I am the leader of this team! If I give you an order, you follow it! DO NOT SAVE ME AGAIN!"

He breathed heavily with anger, and she could feel her eyes watering, but she would not allow him that satisfaction.

"Robin," she said softly, stepping closer, "I will."

The anger slid from his face, being replaced with confused surprise as he tilted his head.

"I do not care if you order me or not," she continued, her voice shaking with emotion, "I will always save you. Always," she reaffirmed sternly, gazing pleadingly into his masked eyes.

His eyebrows rose, and his mouth opened slightly to allow a faint puff of surprised air to escape. His expression quickly hardened again, however, and he took a step away from her, nearly backing into the door.

"What do you care?" he said darkly. "You won't even talk to me anymore. Why would it matter to you if I-"

"Do not say that, Robin!" she cried, thrusting a shaking finger into his face. "Do not dare say that! You know I- You know-" she faltered, uncertain of how much to say.

"What?" he challenged, his arms rising up at his sides. "What am I supposed to know? All you do is ignore me! How am I supposed to believe that you ca-"

"YOU KNOW I CARE!" she screamed, the tears finally slipping from her eyes as the volume tore her throat. "I care so much, it hurts! The thought of anything happening to you, of you- I cannot bear it, Robin. I cannot even breathe," she whispered, her voice strangled by the streams that rolled down her cheeks.

His expression was unfathomable. His mouth was slack and slightly agape, and his forehead was no longer wrinkled with anger, but it was impossible to know what he was truly feeling behind that mask. He stared at her like this for a moment before his mouth closed, and he dropped his head to the side.

"You should rest," he said softly as he began to turn back toward the door.

"No!" she blurted, grabbing his arm to hold him in place. Now that she had started, she had to finish this; she had to know. "Robin, I need- We need to-"

"Star," he began, twisting out of her grasp, "I can't do this right now. I really need to-"

"No!" she shouted, and he jolted in alarm. "You do not need to do the working out or the research or the fixing of the R-Cycle! You never need to! You simply do not wish to discuss this, and I will not permit you to evade it any longer!"

"Starfire-" he said cautiously, retreating from her.

"Robin," she hissed pleadingly, taking one of his hands in both of her own, "I need to know. I need you to tell me the truth, just this once, and then I will never ask you again."

His head dropped as he looked down at his hand in hers.

"Please," she breathed, her voice shaking with tears.

He looked up at her, a pitying expression on his face, before nodding hesitantly.

She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself as much as possible.

"You know how I…_feel _about you," she started, allowing his hand to pull away from hers as he twisted uncomfortably in her grasp, "and I need to know… I need to know how you feel about me."

He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair as he looked to the side. "Starfire, don't," he whispered faintly.

"Robin, please," she pleaded desperately. "I need to know."

"I-I can't," he breathed, shaking his head. "I can't..."

"Robin," she said as sternly as she could manage, and his face flicked up to hers, "can you ever feel about me the way I feel about you?"

She could not see his eyes, but his face looked anxious and sorrowful. He dropped his head, lifting a hand to knead into his forehead as he sighed.

"No," he whispered, looking down at the floor between them, and her heart plummeted.

She had been expecting it, of course, but she had somehow not been entirely prepared.

"Oh…" she managed to murmur, turning around as she stepped away, unable to look at him.

She walked over to the bed, calm resignation rising up through the pain, and lifted Silkie from where he had been sleeping on the pink blanket.

"Starfire, I-" Robin started frantically, but she interrupted as she turned back to face him.

"Can you take Silkie tonight?" she asked flatly, holding a still-snoring Silkie out toward him.

Occasionally, Silkie would become cold in the evenings, and Starfire could tell that he wished to do the snuggling beneath the blankets. She did not use them, however, so she would sometimes bring him to Robin's room to sleep. Robin pretended to be greatly inconvenienced by this, but she could tell he enjoyed having Silkie around.

"Um…sure," he said, obviously surprised as he took Silkie in his arms.

"Thank you," she replied simply, turning her back to him once again as she walked toward her desk.

"Uh, well…goodnight," he muttered confusedly, and she heard the door slide open and closed as he exited.

"Goodbye," she corrected softly, blinking tears from her eyes as she reached for her computer.


	11. Chapter 11

_**Author's Note: **__Please don't hate me! Next chapter will be up Monday._

_I also have a question for you guys. I was planning on doing a sequel that picks up right after "Time", and another one set a few years later, so is that okay or would you rather have another installment somewhere in the middle?_

_**Songs: **__"Somedays" - Regina Spektor_

* * *

**Chapter 11**

**_Robin_**

"Silkie!" Robin groaned, wrapping his pillow around his head to cover both ears.

The little grub had been wriggling all over him, mewing all the while, and Robin could not for the life of him get him to stop.

"What's the matter?" he asked for what must have been the tenth time.

Silkie didn't respond, of course, and merely rubbed against the top of Robin's head.

Laughing lightly, he unwrapped his head as he gave up, and Silkie squealed excitedly.

"Silkie," he chuckled, scratching the top of the larvae's head as he wriggled down on top of his chest, "what is up with you this morning?"

Seemingly in response, Silkie shuffled off his chest and moved toward the edge of the bed.

"Hey, where are you-" He stopped short as he noticed something out of place on his nightstand. On the table, sitting atop a white envelope, was the snow globe he had gotten Starfire for her birthday.

"What…" he breathed, sitting up and shuffling closer.

The blankets slid down his chest and pooled in his lap as he reached over, gripping around the base with one hand and lifting it in front of his face. He narrowed his eyes at the shifting glitter, wondering what it was doing in his room. How had it gotten here, anyway? Had she snuck in when he was sleeping? If she had, boy was he slipping!

Setting the snow globe back down on the nightstand, he swung his plaid-covered legs over the side of the bed and slid the envelope off the table. As if he knew something Robin didn't, Silkie looked up at him with an almost pitying expression in his glassy eyes as he pressed himself against the side of Robin's leg. Nervous now, Robin stared down at the ornate script of Starfire's handwriting spelling out his name on the front of the envelope, and his hands began to shake.

He didn't want to open it; he really didn't. Their conversation last night had been so horribly awkward, he couldn't imagine this letter contained anything good. Was it more thoughts she had? More questions he couldn't answer? But why would she leave the snow globe here?

With a steeling sigh and a glance down at Silkie, searching for some kind of support, he slipped a finger through the seal and pulled out the folded sheet of paper within. The note wasn't very long, which was comforting at a cursory glance, but his heart seized as he started the first sentence.

_Robin,_

_I am so sorry I had to leave you this letter. I know that, if I had attempted to say goodbye in person, it would have been far too difficult. You would have somehow convinced me to stay, and that would have been detrimental to both of us._

_I have elected to return to Tamaran, and I do not wish for you to interfere or follow. You are a hero, Robin, and I respect that, but I can no longer pretend to be content with merely being heroes. I cannot stay with the Titans, or even on Earth, if that is all this will ever amount to; it is far too painful. I hope you will someday be able to understand my decision._

_You will always hold a place in my heart, Robin.  
Starfire_

His breathing was coming in quick, shallow bursts, his eyes burning as his fingers threatened to tear through the edges of the paper.

She…left? He knew he'd upset her, but…this? She was just going to leave? Leave and all he got was a letter telling him not to interfere?

Pushing his pain and guilt aside in favor of the easier emotion of anger, he leapt off the bed and raced out the door, clutching the letter in one hand as he rushed down the hall to her door.

"Starfire!?" he called, pounding on the metal, but only silence greeted him. "STARFIRE!?" he shouted again, very nearly punching the door now.

When he still got no response, he placed his bare hand against the panel beside the door and waited the eternal second for the door to open.

"Star?" he gasped as he burst into the room, his body immediately chilling as he took in the scene.

"No…" he breathed, the letter fluttering to the floor in front of him as it slipped through his shaking fingers.

The bed was made and complete, but it was the only thing in the room that appeared untouched. The closet was open and empty, and the desk was completely bare except for the orchid he had gotten her. She'd left that too? It probably wouldn't have survived on Tamaran anyway, but still…

He approached the desk warily, his heart beating erratically against his ribs as he struggled to believe it, and that's when he saw it. Her communicator sat at the base of the orchid, and somehow that, more than anything else, made her absence real. Gripping the back of her chair with white knuckles, he blinked down at the black and white surface of the communicator as if it could provide an answer.

"Starfire…" he whispered, the emotional barricade breaking down as his eyes began to sting.

It was all his fault. He'd done everything wrong and now…now it was too late.

"Robin!" someone gasped behind him, and he spun on the spot, barely registering it was Raven before she slammed into him.

"Raven?" he asked, hesitantly hugging her back as she sniffled into his shoulder, her tear-stained cheeks cold against his dampening t-shirt. "What's wrong? Why- Why are you crying?"

"Because you won't," she answered weakly, and he looked down at her, puzzled. She pulled away from him just enough to meet his eyes, and shifted her arm in between them to reveal the sheet of paper in her hand.

Understanding flashed across his mind as pain stabbed through his chest. "You…got one too," he whispered, and she nodded with a sniffle.

He looked down at her dripping eyes and his chest filled with leaden guilt. He wondered what her letter said, if she knew what he'd done, what he'd said.

"Raven, I-"

A yelp of surprise echoed around the room, and he lifted his head to see Beast Boy and Cyborg standing in the doorway, Beast Boy glaring furiously.

"What the hell are you-"

"Oh, Gar!" Raven cried, flying out of Robin's arms and shooting toward the door.

"Woah!" Beast Boy blurted, staggering backward slightly as Raven crashed into his chest. "What-What's going on," he murmured as he closed his arms across her back, looking over her shoulder to search Robin's face.

"You two didn't sleep in your rooms last night?" Robin presumed, seeing that Beast Boy was still in his uniform and looked exhausted.

"No, we crashed in front of the TV. Video game tournament with Titans East," Cyborg explained, his eyes narrowing. "Why?"

"Check your rooms," he said simply, walking toward the door, and they shifted to allow him to pass.

As he entered his room, he glanced up to see Cyborg and Beast Boy-who was still holding a quivering, sniffling Raven-heading down the hall away from him. He sighed as his door closed behind him.

What would their letters say? Would they know? Would they hate him for it?

He settled down on the edge of the bed with an anguished moan; his elbows perched on his knees as he hung his head in his hands.

They couldn't possibly hate him more than he hated himself.

His hands tightened in his hair, and he shook his head, willing it not to be true. How could he have been so stupid?!

_"Robin, I need to know. I need you to tell me the truth, just this once, and then I will never ask you again."_

Her words spun around in his head, suddenly making much more sense. Why hadn't he taken her seriously? She told him he only had one chance. Even if she didn't come right out and say it, he knew. Why didn't he just tell her? Why did he lie; why did he always lie?!

He sighed, letting his arms dangle limply off his elbows as he lifted his head.

He knew why he lied. He lied because he took her for granted, because he never thought it would come to this. He never thought she would leave. He had always assumed that she would be there whenever or if ever he figured things out. He thought he had time, but that was his timeline, not hers. It hadn't been fair, and now…his time had run out.

"Robin!?"

He sat upright at the distant call, rising from the bed to open the door before the expected onslaught reached it.

"Robin," Beast Boy blurted as he stepped into the opening in front of him, "what are we gonna do?"

"What do you mean?" he asked, his forehead wrinkling at the strange question. He had been expecting sadness, maybe even some anger, but not this frantic desperation.

"How are we gonna get her back!?" he clarified urgently as Cyborg and Raven came to stand beside him, the latter having stopped crying.

"Back?" he repeated, his head shaking slightly with his confusion.

"What, you're just gonna let her go!?" Cyborg interjected, pushing in front of Beast Boy to glare down at Robin.

He turned away, unable to meet the accusations flying from their eyes. "She told me not to interfere," he grumbled.

"So!?" Beast Boy bleated, pushing back in front of Cyborg to jab an accusing finger in Robin's face. "Our letters said the same thing, but we're not gonna just sit here!"

"Look!" Robin snapped, taking a step back from the group. "She doesn't want us to get involved! If she wants to go back to Tamaran…" he trailed off, the thought still horribly new. "It's her decision, okay?"

He turned and began walking down the hall toward the ops center, intending to go down to the gym and workout until this made sense.

"Robin?"

He froze at the weak, female voice, his heart skipping a beat as he cringed.

"You're not out of time yet," Raven finished, and his composure faltered as he winced at the door in front of him.

He took in a deep breath, his fists clenching at his sides.

"Yes, I am," he answered softly before passing into the living room, but he could hear them following hurriedly behind him as he headed toward the stairwell door.

"Can we at least call and see if she's alright?" Raven pleaded, and his hand stalled on the doorknob.

He sighed and let his hand slide off the cold handle. Without a word of assent, he turned and walked across the room to the console against the wall. Quickly inputting the appropriate passwords, he clicked a few icons before moving to stand in front of the TV, the rest of the team collecting behind him on the other side of the couch. After a moment, the black screen gave way to rippling static, and then Galfore's face appeared.

"Robin!" the husky voice boomed jovially. "I have been expecting your call!"

"You have?" Robin asked, curious and surprised.

"Well, yes," Galfore said, smiling down at him. "I assumed you would wish to speak with Koriand'r."

"Koriand'r?" Robin questioned, only getting further confused.

"Oh yes, I forget you call her Starfire," Galfore chuckled. "But I am afraid your endeavor is in vain. She was adamant she would not speak with you. With any of you," he added, looking over Robin at the group of Titans behind him.

"We just wanted to know she was safe," Robin interjected over the beginning sputters of argument from the others.

Galfore smiled down at him, unnerving Robin with the hint of pity in his eyes. "She has indeed arrived safely."

"Good," Robin acknowledged with a small nod, dropping his head and biting his lip nervously.

"Is there something else?" Galfore pressed, and Robin found himself violently wishing the other three Titans would disappear.

He hesitated, choosing his words carefully in his mind. "Well, when she's…calmed down," he said cautiously, hoping Galfore wouldn't think he was trivializing it, "can you just…tell her I need to talk to her?" he finished softly.

Galfore smiled down at him softly, but his eyes were sad. "I am afraid it will be too late by then, my young friend," he said mournfully.

"What do you mean, 'too late'?" he asked, his chest tightening as his embarrassment gave way to trepidation.

Galfore's face wrinkled with confusion. "You…you were not told?" he ventured.

"Told what?" Robin pressed, getting impatient as his anxiety mounted.

Galfore became noticeably uncomfortable, which did nothing to ease Robin's nerves.

"Princess Koriand'r, she…" Galfore paused, his eyes shifting from side-to-side, "she is intending to stay here on Tamaran permanently"-Robin's heart skipped-"so there are certain…traditions she must abide by."

"Traditions?" Robin repeated, his breathing getting shallower as his chest tightened, resisting against his lungs.

Galfore sighed heavily, kneading his forehead.

"What is she doing?" Robin snarled, his hands clenching to fists.

"She is getting married."

"WHAT!?" the three Titans behind him shouted, and he heard them scramble over the couch to stand beside him.

He, however, remained completely silent, wondering if it were possible for someone's heart to pound so violently, it actually broke their ribs.

"Why?" Cyborg sputtered.

"It is the only way for her to remain here," Galfore explained urgently. "The rules regarding the royal family are absolute."

"But that's insane!" Beast Boy countered. "There's no way she-"

"When?"

The rest of the group fell silent as Robin found his voice, and Galfore looked down at him, a sad sort of desperation on his face.

"Tomorrow afternoon," he answered simply.

Robin stared mutely up at the man, and silence hung in the room for a few moments before Galfore smiled.

"I shall tell the sentries to expect your ship," Galfore said, and Robin would swear he sounded relieved.

Robin nodded stiffly and turned away as the screen went black, the other Titans parting to allow him through.

"When do we leave?" Cyborg asked, his heavy footsteps following as Robin headed toward the hallway.

"We don't," Robin answered, stopping just short of the door to turn and address the wide-eyed trio on his heels.

"What!?" Beast Boy snapped angrily. "But, you just said-"

"I'm going," Robin explained. "Alone," he clarified, turning back and going through the door into the hallway.

"What!?"

Now it was Cyborg's turn to be indignant.

"There's no way we're staying behind! We have to get her back!"

"You don't think I know that!?" Robin exclaimed, rounding on him as he reached his door. "I want her back more than anyone! It's my fault she's gone and this is my responsibility!"

The trio stared at him, eyes wide and jaws slack.

He grumbled as he opened his door, expecting and not minding when everyone followed him inside.

"Look," he began softly as he pulled a small suitcase, extra uniform, and his bathroom bag from his closet, "this is just something I need to do."

He looked back at them as he threw the luggage on the bed, packing the supplies inside. "Ya know?" he added.

The group was silent for a moment, their expressions hesitant.

"We understand," Raven said softly, stepping forward with a small smile.

Robin returned it cautiously. "You do?" he clarified, looking at everyone in turn.

Cyborg smiled and nodded. "Yea, man. We get it."

"You do what you gotta do," Beast Boy added, stepping forward and placing a hand on Raven's shoulder in support.

Robin smiled back at them all before swiping his suitcase off the bed and darting past them down the hall.

"Robin?"

He stopped at the living room door, turning back to Raven's voice.

"From the heart," she finished with a small smile, her voice soft, her expression pleading.

He was confused for a moment, but then he smiled back at her. With a small nod of understanding, he passed through the door and bolted to the stairwell, his bag banging against his leg as he ran.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

She stood on the balcony, the grey stone of the railing cold beneath her fingers as she gazed out over the desolate, purple-tinged landscape. She sighed mournfully, remembering the lush, green landscape she once viewed from this balcony, back when she was hardly tall enough to see over the wall, but things were different now. She was different now, and this Tamaran, this cold, bleak place, was not her home. But it would have to suffice. This was the problem when you made your home within people and not places; the doors could close, the locks could change, and you would find yourself stranded, an ache in your chest that could not be quelled.

"Koriand'r?"

She strained to smile as she blinked the tears from her eyes, turning to face the owner of the voice.

"Karras!" she welcomed, approaching the blonde man hesitantly walking through the room toward her. "I heard you would be arriving this evening. I trust your trip was pleasant?"

"Indeed," he answered, nodding. "Although, I am confused by its haste."

"I am afraid that is my doing," she apologized with a small smile. "I did not give Galfore much notice."

"That is not what I meant," Karras elaborated, meeting her at the opening onto the balcony.

She tilted her head slightly in confusion, her eyebrows furrowing.

"I do not understand why you have decided on this so abruptly," he explained, and Starfire looked down at the ground uncomfortably. "I have heard that you have been quite happy on Earth."

"I have been," she affirmed weakly, "up until recently."

"Oh? Something has changed?"

Her eyes flicked up to him, and he placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Koriand'r," he began gently, "I will gladly marry you tomorrow, but I am not under any illusions about your motives."

She shifted awkwardly, shuffling her feet against the stone beneath her.

"I would not wish for you to make this decision without having completely thought it through. If you are at all unsure-"

"I appreciate your concern, Karras," she interjected, flashing him a stiff smile, "but I am certain."

He stared into her eyes, his eyebrows furrowing as he scanned them.

"I do not believe you," he said matter-of-factly, "but I will honor your wishes."

He released her shoulder, turning away from her and walking back toward the door.

"Although," he continued, twisting halfway back to face her, "I do encourage you to think more on this decision. It is not one to be entered into lightly. Or for fleeting reasons," he added pointedly, and her heart fluttered under his stern gaze.

Before she could collect herself enough to respond, he was gone, the heavy, gold door thudding ominously with his exit.

She gazed at the closed door for a moment, sad and thoughtful as his words rang in her head. Karras had always been kind to her, although they did not associate terribly often. He was a prince from the southern continent of Tamaran, and thus this marriage would unite the two ruling families. It was, on the surface, a good thing for everyone, but Karras had put doubt in her head.

She crossed the room, opening the large, grand wardrobe to reveal her white, wedding dress hanging inside. She pulled at the skirt, letting the fabric slide through her fingers as she appraised it.

Perhaps she was making a mistake, rushing into this decision. But what else was there for her to do? Return to Earth?

She sighed, releasing the dress and allowing it to swing back into the closet. No, she could not return to Earth, to the Titans. She did not want to get married-not now, and not to Karras-but it was the only way for her to stay here, the only other place she felt even remotely at home.

Closing the dress back into the wardrobe, she walked over to the dressing table–which was still piled high with the belongings she had not yet found a place for- and plucked something off the top. Carrying it with her to the circular bed, she flopped down backward, bouncing slightly against the stiff mattress. She held the black-and-white photo strip up over her head, her thumb stroking across the shiny surface of their smiling, oblivious faces.

"I am sorry," she whispered into Robin's unseeing, masked eyes, tears rolling coldly back toward her ears.


	12. Chapter 12

_**Author's Note: **__This is my absolute favorite chapter for Starfire. This actually might be my absolute favorite chapter ever. Prepare your feels! Next chapter will be up on Friday!_

___I also have a question for you guys. I was planning on doing a sequel that picks up right after "Time", and another one set a few years later, so is that okay or would you rather have another installment somewhere in the middle?_

_**Songs: **__"Leave" - Glen Hansard (even if you have never listened to a single song for this fic, **LISTEN TO THIS ONE**)_

* * *

**Chapter 12**

**_Robin_**

The flight to Tamaran was the longest several hours of his life, and yet, as he was closing in on the planet that evening, he still had no idea what he was going to say. The radio operators were quick to permit him to approach, and he suspected Galfore had done a little more than simply tell them he was coming. The palace loomed huge and pale purple-grey in front of him, and his chest tightened as he swallowed hard. He wondered for a brief, panic-stricken second if she could see him coming, but he quickly remembered her room was on the opposite side of the palace and relaxed.

As he flipped the appropriate switches and lowered the T-ship down onto the dock he was directed to, he saw a large group of people emerging in two lines out of the palace. He remained in the T-ship for a moment, not wanting to leave the safety of his pod until he was sure he wasn't about to be attacked, but opened the top and leapt out as he recognized the person heading the procession.

"Galfore," he greeted as he approached, but he stopped short as he remembered his past experience with the royal guard that surrounded him. "I mean, uh…Grand Ruler Galfore…sir," he muttered, inclining slightly in an uncertain bow.

Galfore, however, merely laughed, cuffing him on the shoulder with such strength, Robin's knees nearly gave out beneath him.

"There is no need for such formalities, my young friend," Galfore chuckled, smiling warmly down at him as his hand remained on his shoulder. "It is my honor to receive you."

"Uh…thanks," Robin answered hesitantly.

"I was most relieved to hear you were coming," Galfore elaborated, his tone softer and grave.

"You…you were?" Robin clarified, his eyebrows furrowing. "Why?"

Galfore frowned slightly, his hand pulling off Robin's shoulder as he turned to address the guards around him. "Leave us," he ordered, and the group quickly bowed in unison and marched back toward the palace.

Galfore began walking away along the ledge that wound around the base of the palace, beckoning Robin to follow with one massive, scarred hand.

Quickly, jogging slightly to catch up, Robin followed, taking two steps to every one of Galfore's as they walked along the curved path.

"I am relieved you are here, Robin," Galfore continued, and Robin started at this towering, formidable man using his name, "because I am afraid I have run out of ideas."

"Run out of ideas?" Robin repeated, feeling as if he had missed some essential piece of information.

"To convince Koriand'r to return to Earth," he explained.

"Wait," Robin said, his eyebrows furrowing as he struggled to make sense of this, "you don't want her to stay here?"

"I am overjoyed to see her," Galfore elaborated, his voice sad and strained, "and I would love for her to be able to stay, but the price…" he hesitated, his face twisting as he searched for the words. "The price is too high," he concluded faintly.

"Well, I don't know if I…" Robin started, trailing off as he debated how much to say.

He sighed, opting for the entirely honest approach. Starfire had probably already told him anyway.

"It's my fault she ran away to begin with," he admitted weakly, staring down at the ground ahead of him as they continued their slow gait. "I don't know how much help I can-"

"Robin?" Galfore interrupted, stopping and turning to place his hand on Robin's shoulder once again. "I believe you are the only one who can help."

Robin looked up from the ground, anxiety growing in his chest as he looked into Galfore's pleading eyes.

"I-I don't… What do I even say?" Robin asked, his voice betraying more of his desperation than he would have liked.

Galfore smiled kindly down at him. "If I could tell you what to say, Robin," he answered thoughtfully, "it would not be worth saying."

In spite of the ever-growing knot of fear building in his chest, he smiled back at the man towering over him before his face fell as another thought occurred to him.

"But, how do I even get to her? She doesn't want to see me. She won't just let me in."

Galfore lifted his hand off his shoulder as he stood up straight. "It is true; Koriand'r has posted guards to ensure none of you interfere," Galfore explained, walking ahead once again, and Robin hurried after him.

"All of the paths are blocked," Galfore continued. "All but one," he added, stopping suddenly and nodding upward.

Robin followed his gaze to see the tower that held Starfire's balcony, and realized they had walked nearly halfway around the palace, Galfore leading him here all along.

"I believe you are familiar with it," Galfore said, smiling down at him in a sly, knowing way.

Robin stared up at him for a moment, uncertain of whether or not he should be apologizing for the gashes he could still see in the smooth stone from his first climb.

"I will now return to the wedding preparations," Galfore announced as he began to walk away, and Robin twisted around to gape at him, alarmed and betrayed.

"I believe your saying is 'plausible deniability'?" Galfore elaborated, raising his eyebrows slightly before turning away and heading into the nearest door.

Robin smiled after him, understanding, even though they were not technically related, where Starfire got her carefully-concealed deviance. He reached into his utility belt, pulling out two birdarangs as he turned to look up at the tower looming before him, the light of the balcony seeming just as impossibly high now as it had before.

"Here we go," he sighed, unfurling the birdarangs with a synchronized click as he approached the tower, hoping that, by the time he got to the top, he'd come up with something to say.

/\/\/\/\/\/\

Starfire was lying on her back on her bed once again, having run out of things to occupy herself with. She had unpacked most of her things, wandered downstairs to check on the progress of the wedding preparations-a venture quickly abandoned when she was bombarded with questions from the decorators about things she did not care about-, and done the catching up with several of the nobles before finally returning to her room. All of that had, unfortunately, only taken a handful of hours, and now she was left staring up at the ceiling, wishing she could sleep simply to be spared thinking.

With a frustrated groan, she rose from the bed, walking across the floor and out onto the balcony, the cool, evening breeze twisting her hair across her face. She placed her elbows on the wide railing, lowering her chin into her waiting palms as she gazed out over her planet. It was much darker now, and the shadows of the few rock formations that jutted from the landscape stretched across the ground, becoming less and less distinguishable in the gathering darkness.

She sighed as she surveyed the view, wondering where she would be going now. Certainly this would no longer be her room once she married Karras. Would they remain here, or move to the southern palace? Would they have to share a room? Her chest tightened at that. Of all the things she had considered about married life, that was by far the most terrifying.

"I thought brides were supposed to be blushing."

She started at the familiar voice, spinning around so quickly, it took her hair a moment to catch up.

There, leaning against the wall beside the opening into her room, his hair distractingly loose and drooping from travel, a faint smiling playing on his lips, was Robin. She must have walked right past him when she came out here, and she mentally berated herself for not paying more attention, hoping Robin would not chastise her for it. And then she mentally berated herself for hoping that, considering it was Robin that would be receiving the trouble here, not her.

"What are you doing here?" she asked sternly, crossing her arms and glaring at him. "I told you I did not wish for you to follow."

"Yes, you did," he admitted, pushing off the wall and taking a few, small steps forward, "but I don't think you really meant it."

"What?" she snapped angrily.

"I think," he started, and her fists clenched at the slight smugness in his tone, "you were expecting me."

"You are mistaken," she replied curtly, shifting her hands to her hips.

"No, I don't think I am," he said, chuckling lightly, and flames licked the insides of her chest. "Why else would you have every entrance guarded _except_"-he gestured to the railing beside him-"this one?"

Her mouth dropped open at his insolence, but she could not find any words. She sputtered furiously for a moment, growing angrier as Robin smirked.

"Just admit it," he added, taking another few steps toward her. "You wanted me to climb up here and talk you out of it."

She glared at him, her hands snapping to fists at her sides. "Who are you to tell me what I want when you cannot even answer that question for yourself!?" she shouted, and the smirk vanished from his face.

She sighed exasperatedly, leaving the railing to storm back toward her room. "Go home, Robin. I do not want you here."

"No, wait!" he blurted, darting across the balcony to block her path.

She batted his arm aside and, without even breaking stride, continued on her path.

"Starfire, wait! Just WAIT A SECOND!"

She kept her back to him, but the desperation in his voice did make her stop.

"I just..." he faded off into a frustrated sigh. "You know I'm no good at this, just…just give me a chance here. Please?"

She considered it for a moment, gazing at the heavy, metal doors that were opened into her room. She could take those last few steps, close the doors, and leave him on the balcony. She could do that. And yet, she could not.

Wordlessly, she turned to face him, her arms wrapping protectively around herself as she stared at the expanse of stone between them.

"Starfire, I- We," he corrected hastily, and she saw his feet take two small, shuffling steps forward, "were all…well, it was a mess this morning. Raven was a wreck."

Her hands clenched around her upper arms as her chest tightened with guilt. She had felt horrible leaving Raven a letter. Robin may not have, but Raven deserved more than that. It would simply have been too difficult to say goodbye.

"And everyone- They all wanted to come, but I-I told them I had to go, that it was…that it was my fault…" His voice faded to nothing, and she chanced a glance up at him to see he was now looking sadly down at the ground as well.

"I told them it was my responsibility, bringing you back," he continued, and she quickly dropped her gaze as she saw him raising his, "and I can't…I can't go home without you."

She almost snorted, but managed to contain it. Even in such a moment as this, Robin was still finding ways to avoid telling her how he felt.

"Well, I am afraid you will disappoint them," she answered flatly, finally looking at him.

"What?" he breathed, his expression one of complete shock. "But…you can't! You can't stay here, you can't marry him!"

"It is already decided," she insisted, but he would not be dissuaded.

"No!" he exclaimed, closing the distance between them to plead into her eyes. "You can't go, you can't! You can't leave Earth, leave the Titans. You can't do this!"

"The team will be fine, Robin," she sighed wearily, turning back toward the door, but he caught her around her shoulders and held her firmly in place.

"I'm not asking for the team!" he countered desperately. "It's not about that, it's-"

"But that is all we are, Robin!" she cried, breaking free of his grasp as the words tore from her throat, leaving her eyes stinging as they left. "We are heroes, nothing more! And heroes do not have time for this," she mocked cruelly, tears breaking from her eyes as she twisted away from his pained face.

"No, wait! Star, WAIT!"

In spite of herself, she stopped, unable to deny him when he sounded so strangled and panicked. She did not turn around, however, and he continued to her back.

"I-I was wrong," he said softly, and her heart skipped at the phrase she would likely never hear again. "I'm not just a hero, I…" he sighed heavily, and she heard quiet footsteps approach.

"Starfire?" he asked faintly, taking her right hand in his.

Her heart fluttered, but the joyful heat was quickly replaced with suspicion as she felt something soft and smooth between their hands. Looking down, her breath stalled in her chest, all other sounds fading away, leaving only her heartbeat thudding in her ears.

There, lodged between her hand and his glove, was Robin's mask.

She knew she should not turn around. She knew that, if she did, it would likely be impossible for her to turn him away. And yet…

"Starfire, please?" he whispered, so soft and desperate.

Haltingly, her heart pounding so fast, the beats were hardly separated, she turned halfway toward him.

She gasped involuntarily, her hand slipping out from his as she pulled it to her mouth, leaving his mask fluttering to the ground in swoops and arcs.

Blue. Of course they were blue. Blue and sparkling as he gazed at her with unmasked anguish. Oh, X'hal…

"I'm begging you," he whispered, and her entire body shook at the sorrow contained in the soft syllables."Not as a hero, not as Robin. Just me, Dick Grayson."

He shifted to stand in front of her, taking both her hands in his, and she could not even breathe as the blue orbs bored into her, their watery agony contagious.

"Don't marry him," he finished, faint and pleading, and her eyes filled to match his.

She sucked in a shaky breath, her lungs starved for air. There he was, Rob- Dick, standing in front of her, his inhibitions falling away with his mask, and she was looking at a different person. This was not Robin, the Teen Titan; this was Dick Grayson, the man. He was no longer the stoic, distant hero that hid in his room and pushed her away. He was hanging onto her hands as if they were keeping him grounded, begging her to stay as his dark hair ruffled in the light breeze above his impossibly blue eyes, and it was everything she had dreamed and more. So, why did she still feel so awful?

"Well, say _something_," he interjected, a breathy, nervous chuckle weaving through the strained syllables.

The words shook her out of the trance of his blue eyes, and she blinked several times as her head cleared. She looked to the side, searching for the words, and, when she found them, she knew they would not be what Robin had been expecting.

"Now?" she breathed, lifting her questioning eyes to his.

His forehead furrowed, and she was caught momentarily breathless again as she saw confusion flash through his eyes.

"What?" he asked.

"After all this time," she continued, and his fingers reluctantly let hers slide out as she pulled away, "you do this now?"

He was confused for another moment before his unveiled eyes widened in understanding. "Starfire, I-" he started shyly, but her angry and frustration was rising too quickly to contain.

"Four years," she stressed with painful disbelief. "You had nearly four years, Robin, and you choose now, this moment, to do…this?"

She could feel a few tears break free from her eyes as she stared across at him accusingly.

"Starfire, please," he implored, taking a small step toward her. "I-I didn't-"

"Do you know what it was like for me?" she pushed, angry and tearful. "All that time, not knowing if you- if you even-"

"I'm sorry," he insisted frantically, closing the distance between them to grab at her struggling hands. "I never meant-"

"I WAITED FOR YOU!" she shrieked, ripping away from him as tears ran unrestrained down her cheeks. "Four years, I waited for you! I waited and I suffered and you…you never-"

"I know, I know," he interjected, his hands firm on her wriggling shoulders. "And I'm sorry, Star. I'm so sorry," he pleaded, his eyes sparkling, but she was unmoved.

"And now you think you can just- just _do _this and-and none of it will matter!?" she cried, glaring across at him.

"No!" he blurted, his fingers digging into her upper arms as he pulled her forcefully toward him. "No, I-I don't, I just…" he faded off, his expression broken and searching.

"What, Robin?" she said faintly, her anger giving way to sorrowful exhaustion.

His breath puffed warm against her face as he stared at her, his blue eyes scanning her still-watering green ones.

"Don't go," he whispered simply, so close she could smell the mint on his breath.

She gazed back into his eyes, her heart fluttering wildly, but it did not matter. It was not enough.

"You should go home, Robin," she dismissed weakly, beginning to back away from him.

"I'm not leaving without you," he countered, strengthening his grip on her arms.

"It is already decided, Robin," she sighed, wishing he would make this easier on them both and accept the obvious truth.

"So undecide it," he snapped, and she gave him a withering look in response.

"Look, Starfire" he started again, gentler now, "you don't have to do this. You don't even want to."

She stared at his chest, avoiding his gaze lest something in her eyes betray her.

"You don't belong here," he continued softly, one, gloved hand sliding up her arm toward her shoulder. "You belong on Earth, with us." His thumb feathered across her cheek as he lifted her face to his. "With me," he added, and she nearly whimpered.

"Robin…" she started, shifting away from him before her resolve weakened any further.

"Dick," he corrected, flashing a small smile, and her knees weakened more than ever now that she could see it reach his eyes.

"I-I have made my decision," she repeated, not trusting herself to use his real name, afraid she would never be able to let him go if she took that step. "I am remaining here, I am marrying Karras, and I would appreciate it if you did not stay here any longer."

She saw his eyes widen for a moment before she twisted away from him, heading back toward the doorway to her room, her hands clenched to conceal their trembling.

"That's it?!" he challenged , and she heard his boots pounding close behind her. "You're just gonna walk away? We have to talk about this!"

"There is nothing left to say," she sighed, turning to face him as she closed one of the huge, metal doors and moved toward the other.

"But you can't just leave!" he barked, rushing forward, but she did not heed him. "Wait! Starfire, WAIT!"

The metal door rang with the impact as he slammed his fist into it, wedging himself in the gap between the two doors and halting her progress.

"No, Robin," she breathed, looking up at him, and the anger in his expression instantly dissipated as his blue eyes traversed her face. "I have waited long enough," she concluded, her voice faint with rising tears.

The last thing she saw was his blue eyes widen fearfully before she closed the door with a loud bang, the metallic sound bouncing around the room with echoing finality.

"Starfire!" he shouted, his voice muffled as he pounded on the door.

Her hand shook as she twisted the lock, the other hand clutched against her mouth to muffle the sobs.

"Starfire, don't do this! Starfire, please! PLEASE!"

She leaned against the rattling door, sliding down to the cold tile as she wrapped her arms around her legs, tugging them into her chest. She gasped into her knees, her entire body shaking as she fought to quiet her sobbing.

"Starfire, please," Robin pleaded, his pounding less urgent now as his voice strained with emotion. "I'm sorry," he said so faintly, the words almost did not make it to her ears.

She heard his body fall heavily against the door, and could tell by the following scraping sound that he had lowered himself to the ground directly behind her.

"I'm so sorry…" he added sorrowfully, and she bit her lip to keep a fresh sob from ripping free.

She did not know how long she sat there, her sobs slowly fading to silent tears, her muscles taut with the awareness of Robin inches, and yet miles, away.

At some point, the emotional exhaustion must have overwhelmed her, and she found herself jolting awake, her head rising urgently off her knees from some forgotten nightmare. It took her a moment to remember everything, but, when she did, she carefully twisted toward the door, placing a palm against the surface in front of her.

"Robin?" she whispered, uncertain if she wanted him to be there or not.

There was no response, and her chest tightened with a panic she could not quite explain the reason for. She rose to her feet, hesitantly twisting back the lock. Inhaling deeply, she drew up the courage and pulled open the door just enough for her body to slink through.

"Robin?" she called again.

Only silent darkness greeted her, and she inhaled sharply as tears burned her eyes once again.

"Goodbye," she breathed into the wind.


	13. Chapter 13

_**Author's Note: **Here it is, the moment you've all been waiting for! I hope it lives up to your expectations! Only one more chapter after this one, and then the sequel will be starting in a couple weeks._

_I also have a question for you guys. I was planning on doing a sequel that picks up right after "Time", and then another sequel set a few years later. So, is that okay or would you rather have another installment somewhere in-between those two sequels?_

_**Songs: **"You're All I Have" - Snow Patrol_

* * *

**Chapter 13**

**_Robin_**

Robin blinked blearily as the sun crept over his face, but he was too exhausted to get up and close the curtains. He had not slept well the previous night for several reasons. Chiefly among them was the fact that, every time he closed his eyes, he saw Starfire's forlorn eyes sparkling with betrayal, but these Tamaranean beds were also unbelievably uncomfortable. And circular. Who _does_ that?

He rolled onto his side away from the window, not quite willing to give up the hope that he could get some sleep. Robin had wanted to leave right away, but Galfore had insisted that he stay the night, considering it was already so late and the T-ship needed refueling. Robin suspected he had ulterior motives, but he would be disappointed. Starfire had not come to see him. She hadn't changed her mind.

He sat up, swinging his legs off the side of the bed as angry shame rose in his chest, erasing any thoughts of sleep. He just couldn't get that image of her face out of his mind. The second before she closed the door was frozen in front of his eyes, and his stomach twisted as he realized that may be the last he ever saw her.

Rising to his feet, he wandered across the room and opened the door of his own balcony. He suspected some noble coming in for the wedding had received an unexpected downgrade, considering this was obviously one of the fancier rooms. The sun was rising, the beams just warm enough for him to feel the faint heat on his bare chest, and a light breeze ruffled his hair as he shuffled to the railing in his plaid, pajama pants.

Tamaran, while no longer the lush and green planet Starfire had wistfully described to him once, was still stunning in its own, strange way. The rising sun tinted the entire landscape a pale pink, some of the rock formations sparkling in the rays, but Robin resented the beauty. He blamed this planet, this palace, and this _Karras_ guy for taking her away, but he knew it wasn't about that. It was his fault, and he had no one else to blame.

"Robin?" a deep, questioning voice called from the room behind him, and he turned to find Galfore peering into his room.

"Oh, uh…hello," he answered awkwardly, suddenly regretting not putting a shirt on before he went outside.

"I was told you were awake," he continued, closing the door behind him as he entered the room.

"Told?" Robin repeated, walking back to meet Galfore.

"Yes," Galfore chuckled. "There is a group of some of the nobles' daughters in the room above you. They...noticed," he said pointedly, and Robin's throat closed up. "All the squealing apparently caused quite a panic with the sentries," he added with a faint smile.

Robin chuckled nervously, running a hand through his hair. "Right, uh…sorry," he muttered, not knowing quite how to respond.

Galfore laughed loudly, patting a hand on his shoulder. "Do not apologize, Robin. It was not to be helped."

"Well…alright," Robin mumbled, flashing a small smile up at the man as Galfore pulled his hand away. "I'm leaving soon anyway, so I guess it won't be a problem…" He trailed off, realizing what he was saying, and Galfore's wilting smile indicated he was thinking the same thing.

"I should…I should get my stuff together," Robin added hurriedly, turning away from Galfore to lift his uniform shirt from where he had draped it over the chair.

There was silence for a moment, Robin standing there staring down at the pieces of his uniform, feeling Galfore's staring presence at his back.

"You did everything you could, my young friend," Galfore said softly, and Robin's grip tightened on the red fabric in his pale hands.

"Yea," Robin breathed, turning back with a sad smile, "I just didn't do it soon enough."

Galfore smiled warmly down at him, and Robin couldn't help but feel a rush of gratitude toward the man who had every right to hate him.

"I will leave you to prepare for your departure," he said with a small nod, and placed his hand on the doorknob as he turned away.

"Wait," Robin called, reaching into the small bag that was sitting on the floor beside the chair.

He pulled out two, small items, and swiped a folded piece of paper off the table as walked over to Galfore, who had stopped and was now looking at him curiously.

"Can you…can you give her this?" he said, meekly lifting up the handful of items.

Galfore smiled pityingly as he took the trinkets, which looked almost miniature in his massive, tan hands.

"Certainly," he affirmed, and then, he was gone, leaving Robin with nothing to do but gather his stuff and give up hope.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

She stared into the mirror, mournfully examining herself in a wedding dress for the second time in her young life. The only difference was that, this time, she was not wearing her uniform underneath, certain she would not need it. She was also not wearing her shoes or headdress yet, finding that, once she put the dress on, she was physically incapable of taking any further steps at the moment.

In a few hours, she would be married. She would walk down the aisle on Galfore's arm, wearing this dress, and people would sigh and whisper amongst themselves about how beautiful she was, and how it was a shame her parents were not alive to see it, and she would cling tightly to Galfore to hide the shaking in her limbs.

Robin was right; she did not want this.

She looked into her own eyes in the mirror and marveled at the sadness within them, which was made even more obvious juxtaposed with the glittering, white, mocking wedding dress.

"Koriand'r?" Galfore called, and she heard the door close softly behind him.

"Galfore!" she greeted, blinking the burning in her eyes away as she smiled at him. "I trust everything is in order?"

Galfore did not answer, instead approaching her with a sad, knowing smile.

She let the false smile slide off her face, turning back to look at herself in the mirror as Galfore appeared behind her. She was pulling at her dress, watching the white fabric flowing around her feet, when she caught a glimpse of something in the mirror.

"What is that?" she asked, pointing at the image in the glass.

Galfore lifted his hand, and she turned around to get a better look.

"Robin," he began, and her heart skipped a beat at his name, "wished for me to give you this."

He lowered his hand in front of her, unfurling his fingers, and she gasped as she saw the contents.

Nestled in the palm of Galfore's hand was her communicator, and there was something tucked in between the screen and keyboard.

She looked up at him, hesitant, but Galfore's reassuring smiling gave her the strength to raise her hand, although it was shaking slightly. She lifted the communicator up to her face, stroking a thumb across the Titan emblem, her heart beating painfully fast. With a deep breath, she flipped open the communicator, and two, small pieces of paper fell out.

She exhaled a shaky breath as her throat began to close with tears, her trembling figures grazing the surface of the black and white photographs. It was the photo strip from the carnival; the one Robin had pulled from his drawer not that long ago when he was under Mumbo's spell. He must have remembered after all.

She was so blissfully distracted, it took her a moment to notice the other piece of paper, which was folded and pushed in behind the photographs. Shifting the photo strip to her other hand, she lifted up the paper and pushed it open with a quick flick of her fingers. The note was not long, but there was still enough time for her eyes to well up as she read it.

_You'll always have a home with us._

She lifted her swimming eyes to Galfore to find his watering down at her in response.

"Koriand'r," he said gently, bending down to look her in the eye, "this is not right. An occasion that is supposed to be so joyous should not make you so sad. It is not meant to be this way."

She shook her head as the first few tears rolled from her eyes. "But I-I want to stay here," she whimpered.

"And I will be more than happy to have you," Galfore replied, his large hand cupping her shoulder, "when you are ready, but now is not that time. Now, you belong on Earth with your friends."

She dropped her gaze as she gasped in-between bouts of tears, but Galfore shifted his hand to her chin to lift her eyes back to his.

"He is a good man, Koriand'r," Galfore stressed, and she trembled with a sob. "Do not make such a decision out of temporary anger."

She shook her head, searching for the words.

"Galfore?" she whispered, lifting her streaming eyes to his inquiring ones. "I-I am…afraid," she squeaked, nearly inaudibly as she fought with the tears.

He smiled at her kindly, taking her small hands in his massive ones.

"A very wise woman once told me, 'A heart full of fear is doomed to become a heart full of regret,'" he recited, giving her a watery smile. "Do not let this become a regret," he added faintly.

She gazed across at him, her mouth slowly twisting up to match his. After a moment, she nodded, and his smile broadened as he stood.

"You should hurry if you wish to catch him. He will be leaving any moment," Galfore informed her, and her eyes widened.

She took a few steps toward the door, tossing the items lightly onto the bed before a thought occurred to her, stopping her in her tracks.

"But everyone is already here," she said frantically. "What will you tell them? What will happen?"

Surprisingly, Galfore laughed.

"I am Grand Ruler," he reminded smugly. "Anyone who takes issue with your decision will answer to me. But, Koriand'r?" he added, and she tilted her head, awaiting his question. "Next time I prepare a wedding, I would appreciate it if you actually got married," he teased, grinning broadly.

She laughed, suddenly feeling so much lighter than she had even a few minutes ago. Rushing back to Galfore, she wrapped her arms around him, squeezing tightly before bolting back toward the exit. Once again, however, she stopped, one hand on the doorknob as she twisted halfway back toward him.

"Galfore?" she asked.

"Hmm?" he replied, his forehead furrowing.

"Was it your mother?" she continued. "The woman who told you that?"

Galfore smiled softly as he shook his head.

"No," he murmured, "it was yours."

Her eyes widened for a moment before she beamed at him, her eyes watering anew.

She nodded gratefully, and just saw his small nod in return before she darted out the door, racing down the hallway toward the stairs.

She tried to fly several times, but the fear that Robin had already left kept her grounded, so she pounded down the wide, stone staircase as fast as she could. Reaching the bottom floor, she dodged servants carrying garlands and appetizers, ignoring their surprised gasps and insistences that she should not be there, and made her way toward the docks, her white dress rising up to her knees to allow room for her frantic feet.

As she reached the opposite side of the castle, she stopped in front of a window, sighing with relief as she saw the T-ship still parked there. Her relief was quickly replaced by more panic, however, as she saw a small, dark figure heading down the path toward it, the fluttering cape leaving no question who it was.

"Robin!" she called, pounding on the glass, but he was too far away to hear her.

She turned, racing down another hallway that led to the exterior door, her mind pleading with her legs to go faster. Reaching the large, metal door, she tugged it open with a loud, scraping screech and raced out into the late-morning sun. She rounded the curve of the castle just in time to see Robin sliding open the top of his compartment and tossing his bag inside.

"Robin!" she cried, her bare feet beating against the stone so hard, it was almost painful.

"ROBIN!" she called again, watching as he slid into his seat.

He could not hear her. He was going to leave. She was going to miss him.

"DICK!" she shrieked in panicked desperation, hoping he would somehow hear that.

And he did.

He twisted around in his seat, and she could see the confused expression on his face even from where she was, some length down the dock. Leaping out of the compartment in that usual, effortless way that made him look like he had springs for legs, he landed deftly on the stone, taking a few, small steps toward her as she closed in on him.

"Star?" he questioned, and then she heard his breath leave him in a huff as she collided with his chest, drooping so her head rested on his shoulder.

"Robin…" she whispered, burying her face in his shirt, the tears finally coming now that the fear was subsiding.

"Star," he began, and she felt hesitant hands settle onto her upper back, "what are you-"

"I am so sorry," she interrupted, pulling away from him just enough to look up at him from where she was wilting with guilt. "I did not mean it. I do not know what I was thinking," she rambled frantically, shaking her head.

"Star, it's-" Robin began softly, his hands shifting to her shoulders, but she hardly heard him as she continued her ranting.

"I was so angry with you and so hurt, and I-I…" She paused to wipe tears from her eyes.

"Star-" Robin started again, this time more sternly, and she knew she was supposed to allow him to say something, but she could not seem to stop the flow of words now that they had started.

"I do not wish to marry Karras. I do not wish to remain here. I do not belong on Tamaran, not now."

"Starfire-"

"I belong on Earth, with the Titans. My place is with my friends, with y-"

This time, it was her turn to be interrupted.

She was dimly aware of Robin's grip tightening around her shoulders before she was pulled forward, colliding with his chest as his lips collided with hers, sealing the rest of the word in her mouth. Her eyes widened for a moment, hardly able to imagine it was real, before she melted into his arms, her entire body tingling as one of his hands settled against her neck, his fingers twisting into her hair as hers twisted into the fabric of his shirt.

It was one of those moments when the universe seemed to stop; all sense of place, of time, slipping away in the soft, warm movements of his lips against hers, and she could swear she saw fireworks against the darkness of her eyelids.

After an eternal handful of seconds, he pulled away, and she opened her eyes, blinking blearily as she focused on his face.

"Starfire?" he whispered, his fingers sliding against her skin as he tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Sometimes, you talk too much."

She looked at him, confused for a moment, but she quickly smiled to match his grin, a small giggle escaping her as he leaned in again. She wondered how many times it would feel like this, if the pounding heartbeat and dizzying breathlessness would ever dull. It was then she realized that this would be happening a lot from this point on, at least if she had anything to say about it, and she smiled against his mouth as she slid her hands up to his neck.

"Hem-hem."

They jolted apart like a bomb had gone off between them, staring at one another across the distance, wide-eyed and shocked, before both turning toward the owner of the interruption.

"I took the liberty of gathering a few of your things," Galfore said casually, smiling as if nothing had happened. "I assume you do not wish to wear your wedding dress to fight the crime," he added, handing her the small, pink backpack.

She smiled up at him as she took it from his hand, hovering up to wrap her arms around his neck, her unbridled joy restored in full.

"Thank you," she whispered into his ear, and he patted her gently on the back in response.

As she lowered herself to the ground in front of him, she felt rather than saw Robin approaching.

"Uh…" he started, and she turned to see him tugging at his collar uncomfortably, his face thoroughly flushed.

Wordlessly, Galfore walked over to stand in front of him, and she watched the front of Robin's throat shift as he gulped. They stared at one another for a moment, Robin getting increasingly uncomfortable in the silence.

"Take care of her," Galfore said, extending a hand down toward him.

Starfire's heart expanded rapidly in her chest as she watched Robin smile slowly, reaching out to take the proffered hand.

"I will," he answered simply, and she had to bite her lip to keep from beaming embarrassingly.

Galfore smiled and nodded, a gesture which Robin returned, before their hands dropped back to their sides.

"You should probably leave now," Galfore advised over his shoulder as he turned back toward the palace. "I am certain there will be people who wish to…_speak_ with you once I inform them the wedding is cancelled," he explained with a smirk, and Starfire could not help but smile back at him as he began his walk back up the dock.

As she gazed after Galfore, she felt Robin's presence at her side, and she turned to find him smiling softly.

"Ready to go?" he asked.

She looked back toward the palace, watching the door close behind Galfore and marveling at just how close she came to making such a terrible mistake to stay.

"Yes," she answered firmly, and they exchanged small smiles as they turned away and headed toward the T-ship.

Robin leapt up onto the ship, his boots clanging against the orange metal, and she lifted into the air over top of him, heading toward her own compartment.

"What are you doing?" he asked, and she felt a firm hand close around her ankle.

Turning back toward him quizzically, she saw him standing on the edge of his compartment, one arm outstretched to hold her in place.

"I-I thought-" she stammered, gesturing toward her section of the ship. "Are we not going home?"

"We are," he answered with a smirk, and she squealed as he tugged her down, sending her crashing into his chair, "but I'm not riding back by myself."

She laughed as he slid in beside her, the dome closing over their heads as he began flicking buttons, the T-ship roaring to life beneath them.

"You have so many more buttons than I do!" she exclaimed, leaning forward to stare in awe at the various blinking lights and switches.

"Yea," Robin sighed, "one of the many perks of being the leader."

She giggled as he continued flipping various switches, but stopped as he reached across her, wrestling with something at her right shoulder.

"What are you-" she began, but her question was answered as he pulled a dusty seatbelt out from behind the chair.

"We all have a spare," he explained, unfurling the long, black strap, "just for moments like this."

She chuckled as he stretched it out in front of her, hesitating in midair, and she looked curiously between him and the buckle.

"It's kind of dusty," he mumbled. "I-I don't wanna get your dress dirty."

Snorting loudly, she grabbed the seatbelt from his hand and clicked it into the spare buckle.

"It does not matter," she answered his surprised expression. "I do not have a use for it," she added with a shrug, and he laughed.

"Well, alright then," he chuckled, snapping his own seatbelt into place and taking hold of the steering device. "You ready?" he asked, and she nodded in response. "Alright. Launch in five…four-"

"Robin?" she interrupted, and he looked across at her, obviously alarmed she had disturbed his counting. "You do not need to do that. It is just us."

"Oh," he muttered, blushing faintly. "Right. Well, then…blast off!" he said, pulling the steering device toward him.

The ship roared and lurched off the ground in response, and Starfire was smashed back into her seat, suddenly understanding why the countdown was necessary. As if he knew what she was thinking, Robin laughed, and she half-heartedly glared at him in response.

In a few moments they were out of the atmosphere, and the roaring of the ship died down to a dull whir as they moved through the dark, star-spotted space. She gazed out the window at the flickering stars, wondering as to how they somehow looked so much more beautiful now.

"Auto-pilot engaged," a robotic, female voice announced, and Starfire turned to see Robin leaning back in his chair, his arms folding across his chest.

She stared at him for several seconds, suddenly uncomfortable. Robin had always been a mystery, certainly, but knowing his real name somehow made all of her questions rise back up in her mind, terribly important now that answers appeared attainable.

"What?" he probed, and she realized she had been staring too long.

"Nothing," she muttered hurriedly, giving him a small smile.

His mouth pressed into a thin, disbelieving line, and she turned back to the window, hoping he would dismiss the topic.

"Starfire?" he asked, and she sighed in defeat.

Turning toward him, her breath caught in her chest as she saw his blue eyes, his hands lowering his mask to his lap, and she wondered if she would ever become accustomed to that.

"Ask," he said simply, and it took her a moment to pull herself back to reality.

"What?" she questioned, confused.

"Star, I can count on one hand the people that know me on both sides of this mask," he explained softly, turning the black fabric over in his lap. "Whatever you want to know, ask."

She looked at him curiously, uncertain as to how serious he was being, but he smiled softly, and her fears were eased.

"Well, I was merely…" she began hesitantly, staring down at her fingers circling one another in her lap. "Dick. That is not an Earth name I am familiar with," she concluded, and he, to her surprise, chuckled.

"It's actually Richard," he explained. "Dick is just a nickname, but that's pretty much all anyone calls me anymore."

"A nickname?" she repeated, unfamiliar with the term.

"Yea, like…how we call Beast Boy 'BB', or Cyborg 'Cy'," he elaborated, and her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she thought.

"Or how you sometimes refer to me as 'Star'?" she guessed, and he nodded.

"Yea, just like that," he affirmed. "So, I suppose, for your real name, it'd be Kory," he added, and she gasped.

"How did you-"

"Galfore mentioned it," he interrupted with a shrug, and her eyes gradually returned to their normal size. "Is that a problem?" he asked, his eyes apologetic. "Because, if you don't like it-"

"No," she interjected, smiling at him reassuringly. "I do not mind if you call me Kory. It is actually rather…nice, in a way," she said softly, shyly dropping her eyes to her lap.

She heard Robin shift, and a gloved hand reached across and wrapped around one of hers in her lap. Lifting her face up to his, she saw him smiling warmly, bringing a sparkling light to his eyes.

"You can call me Dick, too, ya know," he offered, and she could not help but smile at the offer. "I mean…when we're alone," he added.

She gave him a withering look, and he chuckled nervously.

"I just- I have to check," he explained, shrugging, and she smiled to show she understood.

"So," he blurted, pulling his hand away as he twisted in the chair to face her more directly, "next question."

She giggled softly, settling back more comfortably into the chair. "Alright… How do you know so many languages?"

"How do you- Oh, right," he said, blushing faintly as he nodded in understanding. "Well, I, uh," he stammered, clearing his throat uncomfortably, "I was kind of exposed to a lot of different cultures growing up 'cause of my dad's business. He wanted me to learn."

"But… I am sorry, I-I thought-" she stumbled, not entirely sure how to phrase this particular thought.

"I call him my dad," he explained, rescuing her. "He took me in after my parents died. You've probably heard of him, actually. Bruce Wayne?"

"As in the Bruce Wayne associated with Wayne Enterprises?" she exclaimed, too shocked to keep her voice at an appropriate volume. "But, that would mean you are-"

"Obscenely wealthy?" he interjected, staring distantly out into space with a strange, sad smile. "Yea…"

She remained silent, not entirely sure how to respond to his strange reaction. Was it not considered a positive thing on Earth to be wealthy?

"Don't get me wrong, it's great," he continued, smiling at her, but his eyes were still far away, "but it's kinda lonely too…ya know?"

She smiled knowingly as she nodded. "Yes, I understand. I imagine it is something akin to my being royalty. It is…_difficult _to have authentic relationships."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," he replied, smiling sincerely now, and she felt heat creeping up her cheeks.

"So…does Bruce know that you are Robin?" she asked hastily, changing the subject before she got too lost in his dazzling smile.

His eyes widened slightly as he looked away, noticeably and suddenly uncomfortable.

"Well, uh… He… Um…" His mouth opened and closed several times, his eyebrows furrowing more and more as time went on.

"You do not have to tell me, Rob- Dick," she said, her heart fluttering lightly as the word passed her lips. "If you are not ready, I would much prefer you simply say as much rather than lie."

She watched his expression go through several different phases. He at first appeared to be surprised, then confused, and finally he grinned, which was perhaps the most perplexing of all.

"I think I can manage that," he said softly, looking at her with an unexpected warmth, and she blushed, dropping her eyes to her lap.

"_So,_" he stressed, the wariness evident in his tone, "who's this Karras guy?"

She laughed at his narrowed eyes, causing them to narrow even more.

"He is a prince from the southern continent of Tamaran," she explained, and Dick snorted loudly. "Our marriage would have united the two royal families."

"Bummer," he muttered, and she slapped him lightly on the arm.

"I'm sorry; I'm sure he's a perfectly nice guy," he allowed. "I'm just really glad you didn't marry him," he muttered, and she could not help but smile, all pretense of being offended vanishing.

"I am glad as well," she said softly, smiling meekly into his blue eyes.

He smiled back before shifting in the chair, stretching an arm around her and guiding her down to rest against his shoulder, giving her heart palpitations.

"Yea," he sighed, "but I had to fight through at least 50 Tamaranean guards to stop the wedding."

"That did not happen!" she bleated, twisting to look up at him.

"No," he admitted, smiling mischievously, "but that's how we're gonna tell the story."

He winked down at her and she laughed, shaking her head into his shoulder as he pulled her in tighter.


	14. Chapter 14

_**Author's Note: **__Well, this is it! I hope you guys had as much fun as I did, and I hope you join me early December when the sequel starts! I'll post a more specific date on my tumblr (see the link on my profile page) when I figure it out, as well as some fanart that I intend to start working on pretty soon (fingers crossed!)._

_**Songs: **__"I'm Alive" - Celine Dion_

* * *

**Chapter 14**

She sat on the edge of the roof, her body leaning back as her hands braced against the concrete. It was an early morning in mid-July, nearly a month since she had returned from Tamaran, and life had settled back to normal. Well, except for one thing.

"Hey."

She twisted, lifting up on one of her hands as she turned toward the voice, beaming already.

"I brought you some tea," Robin said, lifting the Styrofoam cup slightly as he approached.

"Thank you," she replied, taking the tea from him as he lowered it down to her before settling to the roof beside her.

She took a small sip, the warmth giving her an involuntary shudder as it spread down her throat.

"You cold?" he asked, and she shrugged, not wanting to lie, but not wanting to dissuade him either.

He, predictably, stretched an arm across her shoulders, taking his cape with him so it wrapped around her as he pulled her close.

She nestled into his shoulder, breathing in the clean smell of his still-slightly-damp hair. Taking another sip of her tea, she smiled as she gazed out over the bay, which was sparkling in the morning sun. She sighed at the beauty of it, and felt Robin shifting to look down at her. He kissed her lightly on the top of the head, and she giggled softly in response, tilting her head back to look up at him.

"I'm not gonna kiss you," he said firmly, smiling as he shook his head, "because that tea is awful."

She laughed, clutching her precious mustard tea closer to her chest.

"It's vile. It really is," he continued gravely, and she laughed even harder at the sickly expression on his face.

"No, seriously, I don't know how you even-" he continued, but he broke off as she stretched up to place a small kiss on his cheek.

"Blech!"

They both turned toward the voice, Robin's head nearly colliding with hers.

"You guys are _gross_," Beast Boy whined with a grimace, prompting Raven to smack him on the back of the head.

Robin blushed only slightly, getting better and better at taking the teasing as time went on, and chuckled as he stood up, offering a hand to pull Starfire up beside him.

"We were just gonna make some breakfast," Cyborg chimed in, standing at the back of the group. "You guys in?"

"Definitely," Robin answered, and Starfire nodded enthusiastically as they approached the rest of the group.

"Why bother," Beast Boy muttered darkly, "they're just gonna make us throw it up anyway." He then yelped as he received another slap.

Everyone laughed as they headed through the door and down the stairs, Cyborg and Beast Boy already arguing over tofu or bacon. As the Titans filed into the living room, the two bickering friends headed into the kitchen to continue their argument, Raven following to sit on the stools and referee, and she and Robin went to sit on the couch.

"So, what do you think?" Robin began, twisting around to look over the back of the couch. "Is today the day Cyborg tries tofu waffles?"

"Doubtful," she speculated, and they both laughed softly as they watched the argument rage in the kitchen.

After a moment, and the decision to make both waffles and bacon, they turned toward the television, Robin stretching forward to grab the remote off the table. As he leaned back, he stretched his arm across the top of the couch, his fingers just grazing her opposite shoulder, and she smiled into her lap. Robin was rather careful about showing affection in front of the other Titans. He had not told her, and she had not asked, but she suspected it had something to with him maintaining a certain image as the leader. She hoped to break that down over time, but, for now, small, surreptitious touches were enough.

"Hey!" Cyborg called, and they twisted their heads around toward him. "Do you guys want waffles or pancakes?"

"Is there tofu in the waffles?" Robin asked.

"Yep!" Beast Boy confirmed cheerily, his white, chef hat in place.

"Pancakes!" she and Robin answered in unison, mockingly raising their hands.

Raven and Cyborg laughed loudly, while Beast Boy frowned and sulked back to the iron of waffles, grumbling to himself.

Starfire turned back toward the TV, smiling to herself as Robin flipped through the television guide, the channel names rolling past with high-pitched beeps. As he passed 'World of Fungus', she made a small, involuntary squeaking sound, and he chuckled, shaking his head as he clicked the button.

"You do not have to," she offered shyly. "I know you do not enjoy it."

"It's fine," he shrugged. "Besides, this one's about foot fungus, my personal favorite."

She giggled as he smiled down at her, appreciating his effort, however transparent it was.

"Aw, not while we're eating!" Cyborg moaned, appearing behind the couch at Robin's right. "That stuff reminds me of BB's tofu!"

"Hey!" Beast Boy interjected, moving beside Cyborg, brandishing a spatula up at him. "My tofu is _not_ fungus! It's a solidified soybean mixture!"

"See, you say that, and all I hear is fungus," Cyborg retorted, and Beast Boy shot him a glare before returning to the kitchen.

"What are you laughing at!?" Beast Boy snapped, staring accusingly at Raven.

"Nothing," Raven answered, slightly more high-pitched than usual. "Nothing at all," she added, shaking her head.

Beast Boy held her gaze with narrowed eyes for a moment before turning his back to her and returning to his cooking.

"So, what do y'all wanna do today?" Cyborg asked, the back of the couch pressing downward as he placed his hands on it.

"I do not know," Starfire answered, while Robin merely shrugged. "Is there something in particular you wish to do, Cyborg?"

"Well, now that you mention it," Cyborg answered excitedly, leaning in-between them on the couch, and Robin hurriedly retracted his arm to avoid being crushed, "there's a video game that comes out today and-"

"Mega Monkeys 6!?" Beast Boy yelped, popping up out of nowhere, and Cyborg jumped to the side in alarm. "Oh, we gotta go! Can we, can we, please!?" Beast Boy whined, folding his hands under his chin as he pouted at Robin.

"Why do you always ask me?" Robin blurted, raising his hands questioningly.

"Because you like to deny us the simple pleasures of life," Cyborg answered matter-of-factly, and Robin turned around to glare at him, but closed his readying mouth as Starfire placed a warning hand on his arm.

"Yea," he said instead, although rather curtly, "we can go get it."

"Sweet!" Beast Boy exclaimed , and he and Cyborg exchanged one of the high-fives over her head before heading back into the kitchen.

Starfire patted Robin's arm gently, smiling at his still-sulking face. "That was very good of you, Robin," she said softly.

"Yea, yea," he muttered back, rising off the couch and out from beneath her hand. "I'm gonna go check on those pancakes," he added before walking away from her.

She smiled after him, shaking her head lightly. Progress sometimes came in very small steps. Very, _very_ small steps.

Robin returned shortly after, carrying two plates of pancakes, the bottle of mustard tucked under his arm. He gave her a plate, set his down on the table in front of them, and then pulled the mustard out. As he began handing her the mustard, his hand stopped halfway, and he pulled the mustard back toward his face a few inches, a small, absent-minded smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Robin?" she inquired after a moment, lifting a hand toward the bottle.

"Oh, right," he muttered, handing her the bottle. "Sorry," he added with a light, nervous chuckle as he sat down beside her.

She looked at him curiously for a moment, but he avoided her gaze in favor of starting on his pancakes, so she gave up and squeezed some mustard onto hers.

Raven soon came to sit down on her left, Beast Boy on Raven's other side, and Cyborg collapsed down on the end beside Robin. They all sat there for a few minutes, silent except for the sound of forks against plates.

"Are we seriously just gonna sit here watching 'World of Fungus'?" Beast Boy asked flatly, and the group shrugged and grunted indifferently.

"I'm finding it very informative," Raven countered. "Now I know what all that stuff on your toes is."

Everyone laughed except Beast Boy and Raven. Beast Boy glared, while Raven went on calmly eating her pancakes, completely ignoring him.

The Titans finished their various breakfasts in silence, Robin taking her plate with his to place it in the sink when the alarm sounded. There was a loud bang of plates dropped against metal before Robin bounded past the couch, landing in his chair and gripping the console in front of him to keep from rolling away. Cyborg followed shortly behind him, while Starfire lifted into the air, trying to see the screen over their shoulders.

"Whadda we got?" Cyborg asked as Starfire craned her neck.

"Control Freak," Robin answered, his fingers flying across the keyboard. "Downtown. Specifically"-he twisted his head around to look up at Cyborg-"the electronics store."

"OOOOOH no!" Cyborg bellowed angrily. "If he takes all those games, I swear-"

"Let's go," Robin interrupted, jumping up off the chair and darting across the room toward the window.

Mechanically, instinctively, wordlessly, Starfire followed him, the rest of the group close behind. As soon as the window rolled away enough, Robin leapt out, and she dove down after him, their hands clasping onto one another's arms before she arched upward in the midday sun. She took a small glance to see Raven flying a short distance behind them, Cyborg in the hands of a green pterodactyl just beyond her. She smiled softly as she turned back, gazing out at the approaching city as they raced above the glittering bay.

"What is it?" Robin asked, and she looked down to see him looking up at her curiously.

"Nothing," she murmured, shaking her head lightly. "I was merely thinking."

"About?" Robin probed.

"It is just… I was so close to never seeing any of you again, to leaving this place forever, and now…" She paused, staring thoughtfully down at the shoreline. "Now, I cannot bear even imagining such a thing."

Robin's hands tightened around her arms slightly, prompting her to look at him.

"So don't," he said, smiling softly, and she could not help but return it.

They were silent for a moment as they closed in on the city, crossing the shoreline and the first few rows of small tourist shops and expensive, waterfront homes.

"Ya know, I really like this," Robin said abruptly, his tone slightly dreamy.

"Hmm?" she murmured down at him.

"Flying," he clarified. "I've always wished I could fly like you and Raven. Nothing else is quite the same."

She smiled down at him. "It is interesting you should say that, because I have always been rather envious of you," she admitted, feeling heat in her cheeks.

"Really?" Robin blurted, obviously shocked. "Why?"

"It is true that I can fly," she began, "but, when I am in close contact with a criminal, I am…inefficient."

"That's not true," Robin argued, looking up at her urgently. "You're a badass!"

She laughed, shaking her head down at his smiling face. "Regardless, I primarily envy you for other reasons," she continued, looking forward as they began to weave through buildings.

"Like?" Robin pried, his grip tightening as they went deeper into the city.

"Well, you are…normal," she answered as softly as she could over the wind. "You can have a normal life. I- What is the Earth saying? Stick out like a green thumb?"

"Close enough," Robin chuckled. "And being normal is overrated," he quipped.

She frowned down at his smile, and his face took on a more serious expression.

"Starfire?" he said gently, smiling warmly up at her. "You're not a- a green thumb." A few of his fingers loosened to stroke across her arm. "You're perfect. Just like this."

Her eyes widened in momentary surprise before she found herself beaming back at his shy smile, a warmth filling her chest and spreading up into her cheeks. Before she could think of something better than 'thank you' to reply, they rounded a building and found themselves directly over the crime scene.

"Here we go!" Robin shouted, and they dove down toward the street.

The people ran toward them, parting around where they landed, and took off into the streets behind, no doubt assuming that behind the Teen Titans was the safest place to be. After a moment, the other three Titans landed, and the group faced the scene in front of them.

There were the usual movie monsters running around the street terrorizing people, but the real commotion was inside the electronics store. Several of the computers had seemingly come alive, wrapping cords around customers and chasing that poor, unfortunate girl that always seemed to be working at the places criminals attacked. In the center of the chaos was Control Freak, wearing a strange sort of headdress and laughing maniacally as he brandished his signature remote.

"Titans, GO!" Robin bellowed, and they all surged forward.

Control Freak, having apparently heard, turned toward the door and released a very undignified squeal before gathering himself enough to point his remote at them.

A particularly gruesome monster appeared in front of them, with long, sweeping tentacles reaching out from its tall, imposing body. The black tentacles shot toward the charging Titans, and everyone broke apart to better dodge the attacks.

Starfire fired several starbolts, breaking off the tentacles at points, but they merely retracted for a moment before regenerating and reaching out again. Looking across, she noticed Raven having the same problem, and the two exchanged worried, helpless glances.

"Get that remote!" she heard Robin yell from below, and she and Raven surged forward, that goal seeming much more achievable.

Starfire weaved through the tentacles, turning and spiraling through the attacks as she quickly approached Control Freak. As she got within firing distance, she pulled up, leveling a glowing fist with the villain.

Suddenly, her vision was obscured by a large, black tentacle swiping through the air toward her, and she could not react fast enough. It hit her in the stomach so hard, she feared she might regurgitate her breakfast, and she fell backward through the air, her head spinning from the sudden lack of oxygen as the breath was knocked out of her.

"Gotcha!"

She jolted to a stop as she landed in warm arms; the arms she knew would be there, the arms she counted on being there, the arms that made her not even worry about falling because she knew she would always be safe.

"You okay?" he asked, and she looked up into Robin's face, staring into his mask as she imagined his concerned eyes.

She nodded dazedly, and he flashed her a small smile before lowering her to the ground.

"We gotta go," he said softly, and she understood that he was trying to tell her they had work to do in the most polite way possible.

She nodded and he smiled back at her, placing a hand in hers in a wordless command. Following it, she raised off the ground, lifting him, and headed toward the store front. When they reached the smashed window, she spun in the air, spiraling him with her, and released him as she returned to facing forward.

Robin shot out of her hands, flipping as he fell, and landed a kick directly on the very surprised Control Freak's chest. As Robin spun off the impact, landing in a crouch facing the villain, Control Freak toppled backward, getting tangled in some of the computer wires as he went.

Robin walked toward the villain, unfurling his bo staff as he went, and Control Freak writhed in the wires as he attempted to lift his remote.

"Don't even think about it," Robin growled, lowering one end of the staff to Control Freak's throat.

The villain gulped and chuckled nervously, letting the remote drop from his hand as he raised his arms beside his head.

Robin was behind him in a moment, pulling a pair of metal restraints from seemingly nowhere and clicking them closed around Control Freak's wrists.

"You cannot defeat Control Freak!" he bellowed, wriggling beneath Robin's grip as he was pushed toward the exit of the store. "I will return! I will have my revenge!"

"Yea, yea," Robin drawled, and Starfire could hear his blue eyes rolling as he pushed Control Freak past where she was standing on the sidewalk.

Robin had unnecessarily told her that she needed to keep his identity a secret from the other Titans, at least for now, but she secretly loved the fact that she was the only one privy to it. She was the only one that knew how his eyes lit up when he laughed, and how he had the smallest, involuntary smile every time she used his name. The world had Robin, but Dick? Dick was hers.

"Star!?"

"Huh?" she murmured, coming out of her trance to realize Robin had been talking to her.

He laughed as he returned to her side, having handed Control Freak off to the police that were loading him into the truck. "Geez, what planet were you on?" he chuckled.

"I-I was merely- Nothing," she muttered, flushing in embarrassment.

"Uh-huh, sure," he said, smirking with obvious disbelief as he subtly intertwined his fingers with hers at their sides.

"Woah, wait!" Control Freak exclaimed so urgently, the cops strapping him into the truck backed away to give him room. His eyes were wide, his mouth gaping as he stared at them furiously. "You're- But you- You can't be! Are you two…_together_?" he stammered, a vein popping out of his forehead.

Starfire tilted her head, perplexed and concerned, but Robin merely laughed and released her hand to wrap an arm around her waist.

"Yep!" he confirmed smugly, tugging her into his side.

"But-But I thought- I thought I had a chance!" the boy cried in anguish.

"Really?" Starfire snorted, immediately clasping a hand to her mouth as she regretted her involuntary rudeness.

Control Freak's face fell as the doors slammed between them, but the rest of the Titans that had collected laughed riotously. It was apparently so funny, even Raven chuckled audibly.

"Oh, stop! Stop!" Starfire insisted, waving them quiet with her hands. "It is not funny!"

"Yes it is," Beast Boy sighed breathlessly, clutching at his stomach. "It's hilarious!"

Starfire surveyed the giggling, wheezing group and could not help herself. She began to giggle as well, leaning into Robin's side as she watched the truck disappear over a hill down the road.

"So, about that game…" Cyborg said as the laughter died down, his gaze flicking between Robin and the ruined electronics store.

"If you can find one," Robin chuckled, "go for it."

"You heard the man!" Cyborg bellowed, turning to Beast Boy, who instantly changed into a dog and began digging through the piles of merchandise.

"Oh, this is ridiculous," Raven sighed, hovering over to the searching duo and beginning to sift through with her powers.

Starfire stood there watching the progress-and the already-starting bickering-with Robin, his arm still wrapped around her waist.

"That'll probably take awhile," he said, turning toward her. "Whatdya say we hit the mall?"

"Ooo, yes!" she exclaimed, lifting into the air and clapping her hands beneath her chin. "May we, please!"

Robin chuckled, shaking his head as he glanced down at the ground briefly. "Sure," he said, smiling as he lifted his eyes again.

She squealed with delight, grabbing his arm and lifting him into the air without another word.

"Woah, Star!" he yelped in surprise.

"Hey, where are you going!?" Cyborg yelled from behind them as Starfire gained height.

"The mall!" Robin bellowed back, bringing his hand to the side of his mouth as he shouted. "We'll meet up with you guys later!"

Cyborg must have been satisfied with that response, because Starfire did not hear any further comments.

She lowered her other arm down for Robin to grab, and he wrapped his fingers around it.

"Is there some kind of sale or something?" he asked after a moment, and she looked down at him curiously. "It's just, you're really excited to go to the mall."

"Oh, no, there is not a sale," she explained, smiling to herself. "There is merely…something I wish to do."

"You need to buy something?" he assumed, and she smiled even broader.

"No," she answered simply, biting her lip in an attempt to suppress the smirk.

"Kory?" Robin asked warily.

"Yes, Dick," she answered, looking down at him as innocently as possible.

"What are you up to?"

She could feel his eyes narrowing on her as she giggled.

"Nothing," she said coyly, "there is merely someone I wish for you to meet."

"Someone you want me to meet? Who do you know that I don't?" he snapped, and she giggled at his jealous assumption.

"No one, really," she said simply, shrugging as best she could while holding him. "It is merely these two women that work at the place for nails that I believe will be most pleased to see us."


End file.
